IGPX 2051
by Woodsballer
Summary: The third season of IGPX. Troubled romance, fierce rivals, and a deadly new technique. TakashiXLiz COMPLETE
1. Episode 1

IGPX

**IGPX**

**Disclaimer: I don't own IGPX or any related characters, technology, etc. They belong to Production I.G. and maybe a few other people.**

In the year 2051, the world's most popular motor sport is the Immortal Grand Prix. Two teams of three pilots, sixty miles of track, speeds upwards of 350 miles per hour.

In the pro league, the IG-1, the world's most elite teams compete for the ultimate prize: to win the IGPX. For Takashi and team Satomi, this is a dream worth fighting for.

This is the future of sport. This is the IGPX.

Previously on IGPX. Team Satomi managed a come-from-behind victory against White Snow. Even against the massive snow man, they pulled together as a team. Now, it's time for the next season to begin. Can Satomi achieve another victory against team Velshtein?

3

2

1

GO!

The mechs sped of down the track. Satomi pulled back and Velshtein took a small lead. Each team formed a slowly spinning triangle formation as they gained speed. "I am so syched about this race," Takashi said. "It's been too long since I got in this thing."

"If you're this excited, imagine how Cunningham feels," Liz responded.

The rest of the team, including its newest member, stood in their control room. All of the monitors were lit up with camera shots or data feeds. Mark, the head mechanic, was watching the mechs closely. "Takashi, decrease right leg air pressure by two percent." The readings changed slightly. "Good." He checked over the others and sat back satisfied. "It looks like our improvements are going to do nicely."

"Well let's hope we don't have to blow them on the first race," Andre said. He was watching their formation carefully.

"There coming into the final stretch of the first lap," Benjamin screamed into this mic high up in the Big Eye. "It's just about time to get the 2051 season under way. Who will come out on top? I wish I knew, folks. Here comes the Battle Round."

The mechs screamed across the line doing 360. "Let's go." Takashi hit his mech's boosters and he accelerated right up behind Cunningham.

Cunningham spun at the last moment to block Takashi's attack. "You're going to have to do better than that."

"Cunningham, watch out."

Takashi suddenly jumped out of the way and Liz's mech came screaming in. Cunningham couldn't react in time and he took a full punch to the head. His mech sprawled on the ground and fell behind. It would take him at least half the lap to catch back up.

Team Satomi went into their one-on-one match ups. Liz pummeled Dew, but he kept blocking. Finally they went into a sumo stance, trying to push each other down. "You're going down," Liz screamed. Her mech's shoulders popped. She spun her mech's body over itself, her stationary arms holding Dew in place. The legs caught Dew between the legs and sent him into the air. Liz went into a spin and caught him with a backhand on his way down. Dew's mech went tumbling, but Cunningham was able to catch him and help him up.

Amy and Luca were having a nice fight against Jan. "Uh oh," Luca said sadly. "Something's wrong with our air pressure system."

"What do you mean?" Mark asked from his skeleton cockpit.

"There must have been a loose valve. Our air system is losing power."

"Try to keep in there, Amy," Andre said into his mic. "When we get the skeleton out we'll patch that up. Hey, Hotshot, get in there and give the girl a hand."

"Gladly." Takashi pushed into the fight. He threw several punches, forcing Jan to go on the defensive.

"I'm gonna need some help here!" Jan screamed. But his teammates were way too far off to help.

"Allow me." Liz came up behind Jan and wrapped her arms around Jan's shoulders. He was completely locked in a full nelson.

"Thanks." Takashi and Amy started taking turns pounding Jan's mech, sending sparks flying. After a few moments of using him like a punching bag, Amy and Takashi came up with two powerful uppercuts. Liz let him go just before impact and Jan flew back. Cunningham and Dew caught him and they set back up into formation.

"What they hell just happened?" Dew screamed.

"Their teamwork has gotten much better," Cunningham said calmly. "I honestly don't know if we can take 'em."

"Don't talk like that," Hamgra called down. "You're better than these punks. They're just using the right cards. Now you need to do the same."

"I'm going to need a pit first." Cunningham looked over at Jan's mech. He was right. The thing was wobbling like crazy. The paint was completely obliterated and there were many dents in the metal frame.

Yellow lights lit up along the track and everyone slowed their speeds to 300. "I don't believe it," Ben yelled. "Satomi has forced their opponents into calling for a caution only a minute into the second lap. Excellent teamwork. But both skeletons are coming onto the track. Their may be something wrong with one of Satomi's mechs as well."

Amy's mech was lifted off its feet and laid onto the skeleton. Mark did several quick scans. "You're right. The air pressure is almost gone." A robotic arm popped off the right arm and another fell down into its place. "You're all patched up. Good luck out there."

"Thanks," Amy called back as her mech fell back onto the track. In one motion it stood from its speed mode and began to accelerate again.

Just as she did, all the teams crossed the starting line. "Final lap, guys." Andre began a mental run of their playbook and pulled out one he thought would work. "We're going to do this nice and simple. Use a Hail Mary to get rid of Cunningham for good, then drop into speed mode and blast through to the finish. Amy and Liz, you keep Jan and Dew behind while Takashi gets as far ahead as possible."

"Roger," they all answered.

All the mechs were back on the track and they were waiting for the go. "The caution is about to drop." The yellow band lit blue. "And they're off."

All the Satomi mechs hit their breaks and spun around to face Velshtein. "What are you doing now, Takashi?" Cunningham asked to himself.

Liz and Amy pushed Dew and Jan aside and Takashi came blasting right into Cunningham. They immediately went to trading blows. Cunningham blocked most of them. Then his mech stopped. "What?" He looked to the side. Liz and Amy were holding his arms.

"Here I come, Cunningham!" Takashi let off an enormous barrage of attacks.

As he was taking hits, Cunningham noticed one of his data feeds. Most of the hits were around the shoulders. "No…"

"You're finished." Takashi jumped into a low front flip and brought his leg over. The back of it smashed Cunningham's head with a drop kick. The frame, worn out, broke. The body fell onto the track as the arms got ripped off by the ladies' mechs.

Liz and Amy dropped the arms and turned toward the other two, who were standing in sheer shock at what they had just seen. "Who's next?" Liz asked mockingly.

"Oh, shit!" Dew and Jan both dropped into speed mode, but too late. Takashi had dropped down seconds earlier and went blasting by. Liz and Amy slowly came up moments later and fell in in front of Dew and Jan, blocking them from accelerating to Takashi.

"Incredible!" Ben was on his feet, mic held inches from his mouth. "That was one of the best displays of teamwork I've ever seen! What a job by team Satomi!" Takashi's mech flew across the finish line. "And team Satomi takes all three places for 27 points. Dew and Jan are next for 5 points and Cunningham is laying on the field for nothing. What a way to open the season!"

"Yes, we did it!" Takashi screamed as he dropped out of his mech. The mechanics team was their patting his back. Liz and Amy ran up to him. Takashi instantly grabbed up Liz and kissed her deeply for several seconds.

Benjamin Bright and a ton of reporters were arrived, cameras flashing like crazy. "So, team Satomi," Ben started, "How's it feel to win the season's first race?"

"It feels great!" Amy said.

"We're gonna take it all the way again!"

Ben brought the mic back. "You know, it's been said that you are one of the most successful rookie teams in IG-1 history. But this year's rookies look just as promising. How do you intend to do against them in your next race?"

"They're going down," Takashi said, giving the camera a thumb up. "That's all we can say right now."

"Well, you saw it here folks," Ben said as he turned to the camera. "Keep watching as two year champion team Satomi continues to build their new empire."

"Great job, everyone." Miss Satomi held up her glass as she gave her team a toast. "This is going to be a great season."

"Team Velshtein is probably quaking after that defeat," Andre said. "I wouldn't be surprised if losing to you is going to demoralize them for the next several races. But we need to start planning for our next race. Get rested and I'll see you here tomorrow morning."

Everyone started to file out. Takashi stayed behind and grabbed Liz's arm as she was walking out. "Hey, girl." Takashi planted another kiss on her. "You want to hit the café?"

"Sure." Takashi took her arm and they started walking down the hall.

Amy, Luca, and Jesse watched them go. "Wow," Jesse said. "They've been going out quite a lot since last season. I wonder how much longer it's going to take."

"Oh, we'll see." Amy let out a laugh as she turned and walked away.

Jesse watched her go. "I wonder what she meant by that."

Takashi and Liz left the building and took a shortcut through the park. It was a few hours before sundown, and the angle of the sun made the flowers seem to glow. The pair walked hand-in-hand. Until someone happened to figure out whom they were. So instead, they sprinted hand-in-hand until they found a place to hide and the crowd of fans passed by. They both laughed. It was kind of a pain, but neither of them got tired of such events.

A while later, the two sat across from each other at the outdoor café. Both had a hot dog with the works in front of them. But now all they were doing was talking. "You know," Liz said. "I don't think I've ever been with anyone else this long."

"Me neither." Takashi picked up his dog and took a bite.

"This just feels right, doesn't it?"

"Yeah." Takashi felt the box in his pocket shift slightly. It had been on his mind all afternoon. He reached a hand inside his pocket and grabbed it lightly. "Liz, there's something I want to tell you."

"Yeah?"

He started to pull it out. "I…"

"_NO!" _

A voice screamed out from nowhere, and Takashi stopped. What was that?

"What is it Takashi?" Liz's voice pulled him back. He shook his head. He hand dropped the little box back into the bottom of his pocket.

"I'm sorry. There's something I forgot to do." Takashi stood up and dropped a few bills on the table. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Oh, ok."

He walked off.

Takashi flopped onto his bed. His mind was racing. Not of the race he had just accomplished, or even the next race for that matter. He was thinking of what had happened only hours before. He had stopped. But why? He couldn't even remember. It was there, in his hands, wasted. Slowly, with these thoughts in his head, he drifted to sleep.

Several feet away, on the dresser, sat a small, open red box. Inside, a diamond ring sent sparkles across the ceiling.

_To Be Continued…_


	2. Mech Mechanics

Mech Mechanics

**Mech Mechanics**

**A/N and disclaimer: I have not seen anyone post serious theories on how the mechs from IGPX work. So, after discussing with friends and comrades, this is what I believe to be the most likely system used for the mechs. Please note that this is NOT official. It IS, however, based on knowledge of the physical world and scientific principles.**

**If you reply to this chapter with your own suggestion or theory, I will: a) shoot your theory down with one of my own or a scientific principle, b) take a liking to your theory and apply it after modifying it somewhat, or c) declare you a genius and change the section as quickly as possible. (There will probably not be a soul that can achieve letter c.)**

**Propulsion: **Are you all familiar with the massive bulge on the back of most of the mechs? (If not, take a good look at Takashi's. You'll find it.) This is an ion propulsion generator. It uses atoms and energy to create ions that have specific attractions/repulsions to other materials. These ions can then be released in controlled quantities from various places on the mech. Most of the ions are quite forcefully released directly from the generator pod, resulting in a massive forward thrust. Other ions are redirected to the feet, which release enough pressure off the feet to let it glide, yet keep it attracted enough to keep it on inverted portions of the track should the mech loose enough speed to lose its aerodynamic bubble.

When in speed mode, ions are also released from the arms to further help lower friction. But since the ions being released also react with the ground that is now in reach, they push much harder, thus providing more speed. This system is also what keeps the mechs from falling when not moving.

**Controls: **The cockpits of the mechs are very advanced. For the most part, controls are done by a direct neural network. In essence, the pilots control the mechs much like they do their own bodies. The brain tells a body part to move and it moves. For more fine movements, fingers, arms, and legs can be used for dropping into speed mode, releasing the "fingers" on Takashi's fists, etc. If you are skeptical of this, take a look at Luca: he can only talk inside of the mechs, which supports the theory that some sort of neural connections must be made. Also, remember Luca and Takashi "fusing" their brainwaves in the 2050 finals?

To protect the pilots from possible damage to the brain, a program will disconnect the pilot's brain from the system when there is any threat involved. This program is not fail-safe, though. If damage is swift and severe enough, it can cause physical damage to the body, such as Amy's legs.

Other than this, the mechs run like any other machine. Their fuel source is impossible to determine, so don't question it (unless you come up with some theory that is touch with in the show).


	3. Episode 2

Episode 2

**Episode 2**

**A/N: I must say, you guys make me sad. This so far is my worst-accepted story with the fewest hits and no reviews. But, until I get negative feed, I'm going to continue whether you want me to or not.**

**Also, I won't say it every chapter, but please review!**

Next morning at the Satomi headquarters, the pilots were in the conference room for their next briefing. Andre sat in his usual chair.

"Ok, everyone. Our next race is against this year's rookies: team Fire Fox." He pushed a button on his remote and three mechs appeared on the screen. They were all red with each sporting different colored stripes. The mech's design imitated parts of a fox. The head was lengthened in a snout, there was a protrusion that Takashi guessed was a tail, and each hand had several "claws." Andre pushed another button and a person appeared beside one oversized mech. "Their defender is Shingo Magoto, a.k.a the Fox Demon. This guy has incredible reserves. You could pummel him all day and he'll come at you like he just came from the shop." The pilot looked absolutely crazy. He sported a fiery jacket and spiky red hair. He was clearly Japanese and had a huge grin.

Andre pushed another button and another pilot/mech appeared. "Midfielder is Shana Regolez." She looked a bit Irish, except her hair was pink. "Back home she's called the Trickster. She's well known for catching her opponent off-guard with various tricks. But these two probably aren't going to pose a threat one-on-one. Our real threat is this man."

Andre pushed the remote again. An American with short black hair came up. His face showed absolutely no emotion at all. "This is Vince Hugo, their forward. This man is going to be quite a match, even for you Takashi."

"How can that be?" Takashi asked. "Even we didn't beat Velshtein in our first race."

"Well, there's something about this kid that puts him on a completely different level. Watch this video from their last IG-2 race."

A video appeared on a screen. The red mech with deep blue stripes was facing off against a mech from team O2. The red mech suddenly flickered out for a split second. In that split second, the H2O mech shivered and collapsed onto the ground. The red mech reappeared in the same place it vanished from as the green machine tumbled into the distance. All eyes in the room popped. "How'd that happen?" Liz asked.

"Watch it again is slow motion." The video restarted. This time, the red mech could be seen zipping back and forth, making hits on O2 that were still barely seeable even in slow-mo. Andre shut the video down. "What you just saw was a technique known as Keashin **(pronounced kīshin)**, loosely meaning 'mind melt'."

"I think I've heard about that," Amy spoke. "Isn't it supposed to be some kind of mind fusion?"

"Keashin is a way of the pilot syncing with his mech on an incredible level," Andre explained. "When done properly, the mech and pilot essentially become one being, moving and thinking faster than anything else possible. And, since it is technically not hardware, it is still legal by IGPX regulations."

"How are we supposed to beat that?" Liz asked.

"Well, it isn't going to be easy, and to be honest, you may not be able to beat it this race. But I do have a way to beat it should we face it again." Andre looked straight at Takashi. "I'm going to teach you how to perform the technique."

Takashi's face lit up. "Really? That's awesome!"

"Yeah, yeah. You can thank me later. Right now, let's all head down to the simulators."

They all went down a few floors and Mark fired up the simulator machine. Takashi went in first.

"Aren't you going to teach us?" Liz asked.

"Well, not to rain on you girls, but I think Takashi has the best chance of pulling this off, since he's the closest to getting it. You're welcome to stay and watch, but if you want to you can go the gym or something."

"Gee, thanks."

"All set, Mark," Takashi said as his virtual mech sped down the course.

"Give him a level five combatant," Andre told Mark.

A Black Egg mech appeared in front of Takashi. Without hesitating, the simulation attacked. Takashi swerved to avoid the attack and came back around for an offensive, but the other mech slammed into him first. Takashi fell back from an onslaught of punches. "Come on, Takashi," Andre called. "You can do better than that."

Takashi screamed, spun his mech around into a blur, and slammed into the other mech. In a flash, he had his mech back under control and pounding the Black Egg machine. With one final attack, the machine fell back and vanished.

"Good," Andre said. "Did you feel it? You're mind had begun to fuse with the machine."

"It did?" Takashi hadn't really felt anything. He was simply doing what felt natural.

"Yes. Now you have to do the same thing again, but on command. Try going back and forth on the track, touching one wall, then the other in quick time."

"O…Ok." Takashi began to move his mech back and forth between the walls. He was slow at first, but he began to pick it up a bit.

"Come on, we don't have all day."

Takashi focused and pushed the machine to go faster. It did. For several seconds, its speed accelerated until the legs were starting to blur. Now Takashi could feel it. He didn't even have to tell the machine to do anything. It was just reacting to his thoughts.

"Faster!" Andre said in a yell.

"I'm trying," Takashi grunted.

"No, you're not."

"Ugh!" Takashi pushed harder. Sweat began to roll down his forehead. One drop fell into his eye and he blinked it out. When his eyes reopened, he could have sworn that he was outside to mech; just for a moment, then it was gone and out of his mind. The mech continued to move faster. The screens were having a hard time keeping up.

"FASTER!"

Takashi gave his mech one great shove. His mind raced and he felt himself fly through the metal. He suddenly saw a vision he never thought he'd see. He was flying along the course outside. He looked down and held up his hand. He was looking into his mech's fist. Then he looked at the ground. It was flying by, but Takashi could pick out nicks and bangs and register them. His mind made everything move in slow motion.

Suddenly his leg exploded. Takashi screamed as first him, then his mech was thrown of the course. He found himself back in the cockpit just as the screen blackened and the red lights came on. "FATAL CRASH!"

The door opened and the chair slid out. Takashi just sat there in complete shock. Everyone around him except Andre had the same look on their faces.

"You did it," Andre said in a low voice. "It was only for a split second, but you did it."

"Dude, that was incredible," Liz said, her voice shaking. "We couldn't even follow you you were moving so fast."

"Really?" Takashi asked finally looking up. "Everything was moving so slowly in my head."

"That's one of the effects of Keashin. When pilot and mech become one, they share brains, eyes, muscles, everything. This gives you the brain speed of a supercomputer, the incredible resolution of the mech's sensors, and many other advantages. But you also witnessed firsthand both of the dangers."

"Right as you entered the state," Mark said as he read his readings. "Or, at least where I think you did, the mech's functions sped up exponentially. You completely burned out the leg joints."

"Performing this technique will unlock things in the mech never before possible," Andre explained. "Including extreme speed. You must learn to enter the Keashin state while keeping the mechanics under control. If you don't, that same thing will happen out on the track."

"But when the leg blew, it actually felt like MY leg exploded." Takashi began to rub his leg. It was tingling underneath his suit.

"That is danger number two. When you become the mech, its pain becomes your pain. The safety protocol that is normally supposed to protect you from that can't react in time to pull you out of the Keashin. If you thought a blown leg was bad, imagine what would happen if you lost your arm or head out their."

"Oh, man." Takashi couldn't even think about what would happen.

"What do you mean?" Liz asked. "It doesn't actually happen. It's all done to the mech."

"But the brain is stupid," Andre returned. "The brain thinks that it is the mech. So if the brain thinks that its arm has just been ripped off, it will in essence kill the arm itself to make that true. And if it thinks the head is gone, then the brain stops itself to make it reality." Andre gave Takashi a sullen look. "That's the danger." Takashi was absolutely speechless. Andre stretched his arms way over his head. "Well, I think I'll go catch some lunch. Johnny, I want you to get some simulator time and the rest of you know what to do." He then turned and walked out of the room.

Everyone stood for a moment, sinking in what Andre had told them. "Is this really worth it?" Takashi asked to himself.

Takashi changed and went into the gym wearing his Kendo outfit. Amy was running on the treadmill. "Hey, Amy."

"Hi, Takashi."

"Where's Liz?"

"She said she had something else to do." Amy stopped the machine and got off. Takashi had gotten down into his meditation stance. Amy dropped down in front of him. "What happened yesterday? Did you ask her?"

Takashi closed his eyes for a moment. "No. Not really."

Amy was taken aback. "What? But I thought you said you were ready."

Takashi opened his eyes slightly. "I thought I was."

Amy took a deep look into his eyes. "What happened?"

"I'm not sure."

Amy continued her penetrating stare. "I hope it's not another girl."

Takashi shut his eyes and turned away. "Quit bugging me, will ya?"

Amy let out a sigh and stood. "You've got something special with Liz. Try not to ruin it." Amy and Luca walked out, leaving Takashi kneeling on the mats.

Several hours later, Takashi walked into the simulator room. Mark was there overseeing Johnny. Takashi took a look at the screen.

Johnny was playing defensive. He angled his mech's arm and the next punch sent the opponent off balance. Johnny took the opportunity to take a swing. It connected and sent the other mech to the floor. He quickly turned and raced down the track.

"Nice job," Mark said. "You'll be ready to race in no time."

"Hey, Mark, do you mind if I get some more time in?" Takashi asked.

"Sure, man. No problem."

Johnny slid out of the seat. Takashi gave him a high five. "Nice job, bro."

"Thanks, Takashi. I can't wait to finally prove myself out there."

Takashi sat down and the machine purred to life. Within minutes he was flying down the track and staring into the eyes of his opponent. He quickly charged and began to wail on the robot. All the time, he kept trying to push himself deeper into the mech. He finally pushed himself into Keashin. One massive punch later, the screen blackened with a single red line. "FATAL CRASH!"

"ARGH!" Takashi would have hit his head in he wasn't stuck in the machine. "Run that again, Mark."

Mark was surprised a bit. He had never heard Takashi's voice so angry. Without a word, he started up the program again.

Takashi spent another hour in the simulator, which amounted to about seven matches and seven crashes. He finally pulled himself out. "How am I doing?"

"Well…" Mark's voice sounded skeptical. "You've been going into Keashin much faster, but every time you do, something on the mech malfunctions and blows."

"Thanks." His voice was stone cold. Takashi turned and walked out of the room.

Mark and Johnny watched him go. "That was strange," Johnny said. Mark was thinking the same thing but didn't voice it.

"I've never seen Takashi like that." Mark eyed the data screen again. "I wonder if this Keashin thing is causing it. Let's hope Takashi can cope with whatever it's giving him."

_To Be Continued…_

**A/N: I now have a special challenge. There are 2 Easter Eggs in this chapter. If you think you see one, send it to me in a Personal Message. Those that send correct answers may get a special prize. Good luck!**


	4. Episode 3

Episode 3

**Episode 3**

The stands were packed with fans. Everywhere on the track there was the hustle and bustle of preparing for a race.

In Satomi's prep room, the team had gathered for their standard prep talk. "Ok, everyone," Miss Satomi started, "We won our last race, but let's get another one today. I know you guys can do it."

Andre took over. "These guys should be easy to beat if you keep them away from each other. And Takashi…" Takashi and Andre met eyes. "I don't want you going into Keashin just yet." Takashi gave him a reluctant nod. Andre turned to everyone else. "TEAM SATOMI, LET'S WIN!"

Everyone pumped their fists in the usual cheer and headed to their places. The pilots dropped into their mechs, mechanics made final adjustments, and the captains went to their usual places.

Benjamin Bright, who had been there hours beforehand, began his report. "This is going to be a great race, folks. Team Satomi is coming in from an incredible victory that still has Velshtein scarred. Team Fire Fox, the year's rookies, lost their first race to Sledgemama, but they showed some true promise. Fire Fox's forward, Vince Hugo, is the record holder for being the youngest pilot to achieve the famed Keashin, a technique generally used to separate the goods from the greats. Only seven others have managed such a title, including the former Rocket-G." Takashi perked up at hearing his idol's name. "My sources tell me that a small error while performing Keashin was what caused the fateful accident all those years ago. And now it's back, this time in the hands of a rookie. Could we see it used today? Stay tuned and find out!"

The mech's were on the track and ready. Shana was looking over her meters. "Everyone set?"

"I'm set here," Shingo said.

"Yeah," Vince replied with no emotion.

Their team captain, Larne, sat in the team's control center. "Listen up everyone, this team is no joke. Use your team combos wherever possible. Eliminate them swiftly and it should be simple."

Andre was giving his team a similar talk. "Ok, guys. Remember the new formations. Take them into one-on-one and keep as much distance between yourselves as possible."

"Roger," they all answered.

"The countdown has begun!"

3

2

1

GO!

The mech's blasted their accelerators. The teams began to slide in and out of each other, but Fire Fox pulled out after a few seconds to get their formation together. Each of them began the usual spinning standby formation.

The entire lap passed with no problems and the teams were approaching the line. "Ok, everyone," Takashi called out. "Get ready."

The Satomi team stopped their spinning formation and line up side by side. They turned in unison to face their opponents just as they crossed the finish line.

As one they took their targets. Takashi smashed into Vince and pulled back, drawing him away from the others. Liz charged Shingo hard, pushing him further back.

Amy spun around Shana, looking for a weak point. Shana turned in unison. Amy came at her with a punch, but Shana ducked under and out. Shana let out a laugh and her mech completely vanished. Amy gasped. "Where'd she go?" A blow from behind shook her. She spun around. Another punch struck her arm. Just after the impact, Amy could see an outline of the other mech, then it vanished. "She's using a cloak."

"Amy," Luca said. "We have to use the cat."

"Right," Amy nodded. "Get ready." She waited. She couldn't really do anything else. A punch hit her from the side. "Go," she screamed through a grunt. Her mech lowered itself slightly and an object flew out of its propulsion pod. It was a small, metal and cat-shaped. It connected with Shana's chest and attached. Shana, still invisible, moved around, but Amy could follow her now, because the cat was still visible.

"Clever," Shana said as her cloak dropped. "But two can play at that game." Several objects flew out of Shana's back. They stopped and created a small circle around Amy. Lights appeared and three images of Shana's mech appeared. Shana quickly moved around and fell into formation with the others. Amy tried to keep up, but lost track of which one was the real one. All of them looked identical, even to the cat stuck on their chests.

Amy frantically asked Luca, "Can you track the cat?"

"No. The probes must be blocking the signal."

Liz was having an easy fight. This guy Shingo was a push-over. She landed hit after hit until she sent him sprawling. But he surprised her when he flipped and landed on his feet. "No wonder this kid's the Fox Demon. He just won't go down."

"Time to use my specialty," Shingo said in an eerie voice. His mech crouched into a ball. "Cannon Bolt!" Several jets shot the mech forward. Liz pulled up her arms and blocked him easily. She threw him off. With another jet burst, Shingo changed course and drove into Liz's arm. She moved it and Shingo flew past. He let off his jets again and came back.

Shana suddenly charged from out of her clones and sent a powerful punch to Amy's chest. At the same time she called over the radio. "Shingo, now!"

Shingo dropped out his ball and sent an uppercut into Amy's back, sending her airborne. Shana was already waiting. She whirled in a drop kick to Amy's head.

Amy screamed as she fell. Liz charged in and caught her at the last second. She pulled back from the other two to let Amy recover. "You all right?"

"I think so."

"No, you're not," Mark interjected. "They've damaged your joints a bit. Stay out of trouble. I'll bring in the skeleton."

Takashi was starting to get mad. Vince Hugo was a good fighter. Each of them had landed good blows and blocked more. Neither one could gain an upper hand. Takashi was about to charge in again when the yellow bar appeared. He stopped and moved back into cruise with a snarl on his face.

"Talk to me, Takashi."

"I don't get it, Andre. This guy isn't even trying. He's toying with me!"

"Calm down. Use your head. You won't be able to do anything without a clear mind."

Takashi heard him, but didn't like it. "I should be able to take this guy," he said in an almost inaudible voice.

"The rest of you are doing fine," Andre said to the other pilots. "Liz, watch out for that spinning attack of Shingo's. Amy, I'm sorry, but I haven't got anything for you."

"It's ok, Andre. It's not like we could have seen that coming."

"But isn't something like that illegal?" Jesse asked.

"Not exactly," Andre said. "It's a defensive move, just like Black Egg's gas."

"And," Johnny entered, "it's not perfect. It breaks slightly during an attack. A technology is only illegal if the other team has no way of fighting it."

"You've been studying," Miss Satomi said as she patted his shoulder.

Johnny smiled big. "I just want to be ready for my first race."

"Keep it up and it will come in no time."

Larne activated the team's radio. "Vince, what are you doing? Quit playing around and finish him."

The running skeleton finished its repairs and moved out. Takashi watched Vince closely. The yellow bar was replaced by a big blue GO! Takashi swerved in and sent a punch into Vince. Vince disappeared just before impact. Punches suddenly started bashing Takashi from everywhere at once. "Ah!" They suddenly stopped and Vince appeared in front of him.

"You like my little trick?" Vince asked. His voice was emotionless.

Takashi pulled his mech up straighter. He didn't move, but his mind was racing. He tried to push himself in. _"Have to win. Gotta do whatever it takes."_ He had completely forgotten Andre's order. He could feel his body becoming part of the mech.

Andre took a look at the readings of Takashi's mech. They were starting to climb. "TAKASHI, DON'T DO IT!"

Vince crouched. "It's time to end it." He vanished.

Takashi pushed his mind into Keashin. In a split second, he saw Vince coming up behind him. In that same split second, he spun his mech out, fast as sound. He pulled out his arm and sent a powerful backhand to Vince's head.

There was a massive explosion in Takashi's back. Both mechs slowed enough to see. Vince was tumbling and Takashi's propulsion pod had become engulfed in flames. A second later, Takashi also fell and started tumbling.

Both teams looked at the rolling mechs, but couldn't stop. The race was still on.

"Oh, my!" Ben screamed. "I don't believe it! Takashi went into Keashin himself and stopped Sasuke with one hit. But Takashi also took damage, as his engine seems completely out of commission. Neither mech is moving and the medics appear to be on their way to the track. This doesn't look too good.

Takashi's eyes fluttered open a bit. He let his eyes focus. He was right under a light. He turned his head. Liz was sitting on a seat next to his bed. Takashi tried to push himself up, but someone pushed him back down. He turned and saw Andre standing over him. "No, stay down."

Takashi relaxed back down. "What happened?" he asked weakly.

"You blew out your engine when you went into Keashin," Andre explained. "After I specifically ordered you not to."

"Sorry."

"You're incredibly lucky. A person would normally be killed by that kind of mishap."

"What about the race?"

"We won," Liz said as she stood up. "You knocked out Vince. He's in another room here at the hospital. Amy took first and I second."

"The hospital?" Takashi asked, confused.

"The explosion did some temporary damage to your nervous system. You should be out tomorrow, but the doctor has forbidden you from running in the next race." Takashi's face was distraught. "Well, at least Johnny is going to get his wish."

_To Be Continued…_


	5. Episode 4

Episode 4

**Episode 4**

**A/N: Italicized passages represent flashbacks. And you would not believe how hard it was to find Johnny's full name: it's not on any fan sites and is only mentioned once in the entire series.**

Takashi sat at the café table. An untouched hot dog was sitting in front of him. His mind wandered back to his meeting with Satomi earlier.

_Takashi sat in Satomi's office. "It's nice to see you made a good recovery," she started. "But do you understand what you've done?" Takashi didn't look at her. He didn't have to. "That accident cost us almost half a million for replacement parts. You're lucky it wasn't more serious, or we wouldn't have a mech for the next race!" Miss Satomi took a seat to calm herself. She picked up a cup of coffee and took a sip. "Take today off. You can continue your training tomorrow." Takashi had left without a word._

"What's she know?" he said to himself angrily. His body wanted to get back into that simulator. He should be practicing to avoid another accident, not relaxing.

He left some money and his hot dog on the table and went for a long jog. He was passing through the park when he saw Liz up ahead. She spotted him and waved. "Hey, Takashi. Want to go do something?"

Takashi jogged right by her. "No thanks. Maybe another time."

Liz watched him go by, hand still in the air. "Oh, ok."

He continued running as long as he could. He ended his jog at his house. He instantly fell right onto his bed as the sun began to set. His sister Yuri appeared at his door. "Wo. I've never seen you that bummed before. What's wrong with you?"

"Not now, Yuri."

"Oh, come on. You don't want to talk?"

"NO." Takashi took one of his pillows and threw it at her. It missed by a foot and hit the wall, but it was still enough to make her jump.

"Fine. See if I care." She walked out.

Takashi lay in bed looking up at the ceiling until he fell asleep.

Takashi arrived at the headquarters bright and early. He met Mark in the garage. "Hey, Mark. How's the mech?"

Mark turned to him. "Hey, Takashi. It was pretty bad, but she should be ready by the next race." When he turned back his face was a little harder. "You did quite a number on that thing. When you accelerated like you did, it pushed the propulsion system past what it's supposed to do. Are you sure you want to keep doing this Keashin thing?"

"Actually that's what I wanted to talk about. Could you run the simulator for me later?"

Mark wiped his hand on a towel and forced a smile. "Sure."

"Thanks," Takashi said as he turned and walked off.

Mark's frown returned as Takashi walked away. But he just kept his comments to himself and returned to his work.

Liz walked into the gym. Takashi was kneeling on the floor in his Kendo suit. "Hey, man. Good to see you're up and about."

Takashi didn't move. "Thanks."

Liz looked over at the treadmill, but decided against it. "Want to go get something to eat?"

"No thanks. I'm going to stay and train."

Liz sighed. "It seems like all you think about is training." Takashi still didn't move. "You want to spar?"

He finally looked up at her. "Alright."

He put aside his sword and went into his usual stance in front of her. She matched it. They stared down at each other for several seconds. "You gonna come at me or what?" she asked.

"Fine." He dropped into a sweeping spin kick that caught Liz off guard. He swept her feet out and she started to fall. Takashi quickly brought his foot back under and launched himself into Liz, pounding her into the ground with the force of his entire body.

Liz landed hard on her back. She lay for a second to let the pain dissipate. She realized Takashi was still on top of her. She quickly shoved him off. "What the hell are you doing?! You could have seriously hurt me with that move!"

"You said you wanted to spar," he replied as he stood.

"Not if it's going to kill me!" Liz stood and stormed out of the room. "I'm out of here."

Takashi watched her go. As the door closed, he kneeled back into his meditation stance. The room once again grew silent.

"Welcome, race fans. Today marks the last race of round three, with team Satomi going up against team Edgeraid. Satomi's forward, Takashi Jin, is sitting out this race on doctor's orders after taking some damage from the Keashin. Replacing him today will be new pilot Johnny Limpkin. Currently, Johnny is the youngest pilot in the IGPX and this marks his career debut. But don't expect Edgeraid to go easy on them just because they have a kiddy in their ranks.

Johnny heard the insult through his headpiece. "Who's he calling a kid?"

"Don't worry about it," Liz replied. "Ben always says stuff like that." She went through and did a final check of the mech's sensors. Everything was good.

"Just remember what I told you, Johnny," Andre said from the control room. "Don't worry about taking Johannsen out. If you get into trouble just run. The most important thing is to stay alive."

"Got it."

Luca activated her own communicator. "Hey, kid. You want to take DeMarco instead? I've been itching to get back at Sola."

"No thanks. I'll be good." Johnny gave his engines one last prep and was ready to go.

Takashi watched from his chair in the room. "Never thought I'd be watching my own team race without me."

"Well, things happen," Mark said as he ran through the mechs. "You'll be out there by the next race, so don't worry."

"We're just about to get started, folks. Hold onto your hats."

3

2

1

GO!

The mechs blasted out. Edgeraid gained a quick lead and Satomi fell back a few meters. Johnny took a moment to get into formation and began to settle in.

"How you doin', kid?"

"Pretty good, Andre. Thanks for asking." Johnny moved one finger slightly and the mech began to tilt further right. "The movement's not the same as the simulator, though."

"You get used to that," Luz replied.

The teams screamed down the track. Going through the spiral Johnny couldn't help but feel awed and slightly queasy. Soon enough, the line was quickly approaching. They blasted through the stadium so fast the fans could hardly see them.

Johnny watched the other team. They weren't breaking formation. "What's going on?"

"Not sure," Amy answered. "Why aren't they coming to attack us?"

Andre put a finger to his chin. "Maybe they just don't want to take first blood. Go get 'em."

The Satomi mechs accelerated forward and broke their formation. Liz came up on Frank Bullit, who quickly turned around and caught Liz, hand to hand. They immediately went into a sumo-style match.

Amy faked a move on DeMarco and spun around in front of her. She threw several punches, but Bella quickly blocked and countered.

Johnny was coming hot up Johannsen's rear. His mind was racing trying to come up with a strategy. He was still thinking when Johannsen spun around and came at him. He looked up at the last moment to see a punch coming his way. Without thinking, he threw up a block and countered a punch to Johannsen's chest. His mech accelerated and he pulled out in front as Johannsen recovered.

"Good opening move, kid. But do you only intend to run the whole match?"

"Pretty much."

"Well, I guess it will work, but don't expect any style points."

Johnny watch as Johannsen quickly came up behind him, preparing a backside punch. At the last minute, Johnny ducked into a ball and slowed. Johannsen couldn't stop in time and tripped. Johnny popped back up and grabbed Johannsen's leg with both arms. He went into a spin, carrying the enemy with him. He let go and Johannsen went flying. He landed right next to Bullit, who was still fighting Liz.

"Hey, Liz. Can you handle two for me?"

Liz pushed off of Bullit and punched him back. "I think so, but not for long."

Johnny accelerated to top speed. "You only need you hold them long enough." Johnny's mech slowly gained distance from the fights.

"Perhaps we should just end this," Bella said in a seductive voice. Her voice always sounded that way to Amy.

Amy saw little explosions from Bella's arms. "Watch out, Liz. They're using their strings." Amy was cut off as her mech was suddenly pulled. She couldn't stop as she moved closer to Bella, who was already preparing her punch.

"Fly, little birdie." The punch came hard. It sent Amy back a good hundred meters.

"Amy," Liz called. She moved to try and help her, but couldn't. Johannsen had already caught her.

He moved and arm and Liz spun around. "Time for the Edge Monsoon." He pulled Liz in close and punched her in the shoulder. Her mech spun back and tried to stop itself. But just as it did, Liz got blind sided by Bella. She spun again, this time into a punch from Bullit. She screamed as she was sent around and around the deadly triangle.

Amy started to accelerate in. "Hold on, Liz. I'm coming."

"No…_ugh_…stay back. At least one of us needs to stay alive." Liz screamed again as one last punch sent her up and away. She landed on one arm and it got torn off. "Agh…go finish the race."

"It looks like Liz Ricarro was taken out by the deadly Edge Monsoon. But Johnny Limpkin has gained a lead that may be hard to Edgeraid to make up."

_To Be Continued…_


	6. Episode 5

Episode 5

**Episode 5**

Johnny's heart pulsed. This was his dream. He was actually living it. He could almost imagine the crowd's thunderous applause as he blasted through the stadium. He instantly dropped his mech into speed mode. He had to keep his lead as long as possible.

Ben watched the race from high in the sky. "What an incredible race this is turning out to be. Usually you see the racers doing everything possible to kill each other. But Johnny Limpkin has avoided battle for almost the entire race. Edgeraid is trying to catch him, and their slowly gaining ground thanks to their drafting. Amy Stapleton is bringing up the rear.

Johnny kicked his boosters as he came out of the turn. He could feel his head get pushed back deeper into his helmet. It was even better than he had imagined. He let out a joyous "Wahoo!"

"Careful, kid. Edgeraid is gaining on you."

Johnny checked his rear view. Sure enough, the red mechs were coming out of the turn he had exited only seconds before. They were in perfect drafting formation. "Well, I hope they don't mind me joining them."

The team slowly came up on his side. Johnny moved the mech into their path. Johannsen gave a grunt and moved to the other side, but Johnny blocked them off again. "He's trying to use our draft. Split up." The Edgeraid team moved apart, forming a V-formation. The two on the outside began to move forward a bit.

Johnny saw their move and checked his position. He was coming up on a turn. They would be coming up on the canyon soon. He moved out to block Bella DeMarco. The others continued their acceleration. The turn was coming up.

Johnny hit his boosters again and threw himself down to the inside. He forced his mech as close to the wall as he dared and struggled to keep it under control. The G-forces were incredible.

Mark saw the readings. "Johnny, be careful. You're pulling too many G's." Johnny came out of the turn. He had gained a few seconds on Edgeraid. "You have to be careful or you're going to black out doing that."

Johnny laughed. "Huh. If you thought that was good, wait till you see what I do next." He could see the canyon over the next hill.

Johannsen screamed at his teammates, "Back in formation. We can't let him win." The team regrouped into drafting formation and their speed increased.

"Don't do anything stupid," Andre put in as a last minute suggestion.

"Oh, come on, coach," Johnny replied with a big grin. "That's what newbies are known for." He blasted into the canyon with Edgeraid right on his heels. Johnny tapped his boosters for a split second to gain momentum and jumped out of speed mode. He pushed off before he lost speed, shifted back into speed mode in mid air, and landed at full speed on the wall. He hit the booster as he screamed around, or up by Johnny's view, the turn. Andre, Satomi, even Takashi, was shocked at his incredible move.

Johnny shifted out and pushed off again, landing this time on the opposite wall to prepare him for the next turn.

"What a move! Johnny Limpkin is actually riding on the wall to decrease his time while Edgeraid has to brake around the corners!"

Mark looked down at the readings. The G-forces were dangerously high around the turn. "Johnny, you've got to take that turn slower or you're going to black out!"

Johnny went into the "grip" position. It was a pilot's technique to protect from high G-forces. He clenched his legs and abs to keep the blood in his head. The turn was intense. Everything in the boy's body felt like a ton. Johnny's vision was swimming as he came out of the turn. He pushed himself off the wall for the final turn. Team Edgeraid was just going through the second turn.

"One more move like that and Johnny's going to black out for sure," Mark said to no one in particular.

"Luckily this is the last turn. If he can manage this, he's in the clear."

Johnny watched the upcoming turn. He flexed his leg and stomach muscles as hard as he could and hit the boosters again. He closed his eyes as he went through the turn. His head started to spin. As Johnny opened his eyes, everything was spinning. Relying only on instincts, he dropped out of speed and back onto the track, where he once again blasted the boosters down the final stretch.

"He's loosing consciousness."

"Johnny, stay with me."

Johnny barely heard them. He could just make out the stadium. He held the turbo as long as he could before passing out.

"Johnny Limpkin is blasting it full speed down the final stretch with Edgeraid desperately trying to make up time!" Ben squinted his eyes. "Wait, it looks like Johnny's mech is losing speed! Edgeraid just might be able to make it up. Or will the lead be enough. Who will win?"

The mechs continued closer to the stadium. Johnny's mech still had enough momentum to pass over the line, but would Edgeraid catch up? All of team Satomi held their breaths as the last seconds clicked by. Johannsen was pushing his mech with all of his might. Johnny inched closer to the finish line.

"AND THE WINNER IS……………JOHNNY LIMPKIN BY ONLY A THOUSANDTH OF A SECOND!" Everything went from silent anticipation to thunderous excitement in an instant. "Team Edgeraid takes second through fourth, tying the points, but Amy Stapleton comes in way behind for the winning two points. TEAM SATOMI WINS!"

The Satomi team jumped for joy, that is until Andre mentioned Johnny. Satomi called down to the crews to get Johnny out as quickly as possible.

Johnny was found unconscious in the cockpit with no injuries. The medic checked him out before he woke up. Takashi and Liz carried him to the conference room, where everything had been prepared for a party.

Only a few minutes after they arrived, Johnny slowly opened his eyes. Everyone was around watching him intently. "Uh, what's going on?"

Several of the group stifled laughs before they showered him with confetti. "CONGRATULATIONS!"

Johnny's face lit up. "We won?!"

"You know it," Liz said handing him a drink. "Here's to your first IG-1 victory."

Johnny tapped her glass in a toast and took a deep drink of the orange soda. Music started to play and everyone began to dance.

The party went on happily. During a techno mix song, Liz noticed Takashi sitting on a chair by the wall, a drink in his hand. She moved over towards him. "Hey, man. Why aren't you partying?"

Takashi shrugged. "No reason. Just a little tired, I guess."

Andre's eyes caught the two and he watched them for a moment.

"Come on, man," Liz said as she grabbed his arm. "It's a party! Have some fun."

Takashi let out a smile. "Sure, why not?" He went with her to the middle of the room and they started to dance.

Andre watched Takashi for a moment more before turning and walking out of the room.

He walked down the still, dark hallways until he got to the simulator. He fired up the computer and looked up the records. Takashi had registered 7 hours since his race against Fire Fox two weeks ago. "Well, it's not so bad," he said to himself. "Maybe I'm just worrying too much."

Takashi and Liz sat at the poolside the next day. Liz was looking around the pool, bored. She looked at Takashi longingly wanting to get out of there. "Come on. If we're going to be here let's at least get in the pool."

"You go ahead. I'm just going to chill."

Liz stood up. "Well then I'm just gonna leave."

"Alright."

"What? You're not going to stop me?"

He shrugged. "If you don't want to stay, I shouldn't stop you."

Liz was furious. "Fine. If you don't want to be with me, then I don't want to be with you." She grabbed her towel and stormed out. Takashi wasn't even fazed as shifted into a more comfortable position.

Takashi moved in on his prey. The black mech was just going along, oblivious. He dove into his machine and spun around into an unseen blur. He bashed the other mech in the chest and dropped out of Keashin. It sprawled for a moment but regained its footing. Takashi re-entered the dangerous state and sent a lightning fast series of punches into the mech from all angles. In a final attack, he grabbed the arm and ripped it out of the socket. Takashi was out and away before the Black Egg machine was on the ground.

The simulator shut down and the chair shifted out into the light. Mark looked over the readings. "Great job, man. You've really gotten control of this Keashin thing. If you can just keep from going in it for too long, you'll be unstoppable against Sledgemama."

"Thanks." Takashi pulled off his helmet and walked out, leaving Mark aghast.

"What's with him lately?"

Johnny walked in a second later. "Hey, Mark. Is Takashi finished?"

"Hey, kid. Yeah, he just left. But if you want to use the simulator, you'll have to activate it. I need to go do some work on the mechs."

"No problem."

"Thanks." Mark put in the commands and patted Johnny's head as he walked by. "Oh, have you noticed anything weird with Takashi lately?"

Johnny thought. "Now that you mention it, he has been a little separated these past few days. I haven't even seen with Liz that much."

"So it's not all in my head. Thanks. Good luck." Mark waved and walked out.

Amy typed away at her personal computer. Luca was above her on a shelf. Amy looked up. "Our race against Sledgemama is in two days. Do you think we'll win?" Luca, who was trying to sleep, simply swished his tail. "Is that a yes?" Luca swished his tail again. "Yeah, you're right. We'll beat 'em no problem."

Takashi sat in his dojo, settling his mind for the race the next day. He had his metal sword by his side. He slowly opened his eyes. In his head, he saw River standing before him. His face grew hard and he grabbed the sword. He went into a fury of attacks which the imaginary specter dodged. Takashi drew back and came again, doubling his pace and letting out a furious scream, "RIVER!" His imagination showed him a very scared River, trying desperately to stay alive. He spun into a low sweep which River jumped over. With blinding speed, Takashi stood and brought his blade in a continuous circle and glared into his opponent's terrified eyes. He brought the blade through the final slash right at the spot where River's neck would be. He stopped, his blade still held back. His breathing was hard. He closed his eyes and moved the blade back into its sheath. Standing up tall, he glared ahead. "Tomorrow…you die."

_To Be Continued…_


	7. Episode 6

Episode 6

**Episode 6**

The stadium was packed with fans finding their seats, getting food, or arguing over the outcome of the race. The noise was everywhere. Even deep into the nearby buildings.

Takashi was putting his gloves on in the changing room when the door opened. He turned to see Andre walk in.

"Hey. You ready?"

Takashi nodded as he finished snapping on the gloves.

"Listen, I know you've gotten better with Keashin, and I'm not going to ask you to not use it, but try to take it easy out there today."

"Thanks," was all Takashi said as he walked out.

Andre let out a sigh and brushed his hair back.

"GOOD MORNING, RACE FANS! It's a beautiful day and we've got an awesome face-off for you: the famous team Satomi vs. team Sledgemama. Both teams are coming here from perfect records. Sledgemama's forward Yamma seems determined to win after being let go and then rehired over the off-season. His coach promises no return this time if they can't bring home a championship. On the other side of the field, Satomi seems to be lying back this year, even though they are pressing hard. Takashi Jin is coming back from an injury, but he has no doubt been practicing the famous Keashin that he used in his last race. Will he use it to more effect today? Stay tuned to find out."

Satomi was standing in front of the group. "OK, guys. If you can bring us home a win today, we've guaranteed ourselves a place in the finals. So don't let us down." They did their team cheer and headed out.

Takashi climbed the stairs to his mech's chest where his pilot seat was. Mark was waiting for him with his helmet. As he handed it to him, he said, "We made some adjustments to you propulsion. You won't get as high a top speed, but you should be able to move faster and stay in Keashin longer."

"Good," was all Takashi said as he took the helmet and sat down.

Mark walked down the stairs as the chest cavity closed. He ran back up to the control room to do final checks.

Yamma was doing final checks on his own mech. "I'm not gonna lose," he kept telling himself. "Not to these punks again. I'm here to stay."

The mechs purred to life and slowly lumbered out to the starting grid.

Mark finally arrived in the room were everyone was waiting and watching. Andre was giving them the game plan one more time. "Their strategies haven't changed much, so hit them fast and keep 'em off balance." Everyone gave back a "Roger." Andre didn't show it, but he had a bad feeling way down in his gut.

The countdown started and everyone held their breaths.

3

2

1

GO!

The mechs fired off. Team Satomi slithered ahead to take the lead and everything grew still for the first lap. Takashi could feel the changes Mark had made. The mech was more sensitive to his control. It would be fun to take apart his target. "I'm going to take on River," he told the others. "Amy, you go for Yamma."

"Ok."

The mechs continued on down the track. Yamma tried to steady his head.

"_I warned you. You failed to bring us a winning season, so you're off the team."_ That had been several months ago.

But then, _"I can't lose all of my pilots over this, so I'm bringing you back on. But this is your last chance. No championship, you leave. And this time your friends won't be able to save you."_

"Don't worry," Yamma said to himself. "We'll get that championship."

"You know it," River put in. "We're gonna crush these guys."

"You want to go after Takashi?"

"Absolutely."

Yamma nodded. "We'll take him together. No doubt he's gotten a bit better with the Keashin since their bout with Fire Fox, so it may take both of us."

"And I'll take the two girls," Dimma said.

The race continued in silence for several minutes. Andre, wanting to break the silence, asked, "What's wrong, hot shot. Nervous?"

"No," Takashi replied. "Just getting ready."

"Hmm." He could hear it. It may have only been his imagination, but the kid's voice sounded a bit different. There was much less emotion in the voice. Andre switched off his mic. "Hey Mark. Watch Takashi's endrophin levels when we get into the fights."

"Why? Something wrong?"

Andre narrowed his eyes in thought. "I pray to God there isn't."

The mechs continued down the track, the stadium finally coming into view. Takashi was completely focused. "Alright. Here we go."

They blasted through and into the battle round. Satomi hit their breaks, letting Sledgemama fly past. Then they reaccelerated up behind them. Dimma turned first. Liz pulled up and grabbed him by the shoulders while Takashi and Amy moved around him.

Yamma came back next. He went straight for Amy with a punch. Amy ducked under, but Yamma spun back and hit her with a powerful backhand. She fell back.

Dimma suddenly threw Liz off and grabbed Amy, pulling her back to a place where he could guard her.

Takashi turned to find Yamma and River boxing him in. "So this is how you want to do it. Don't worry girls. You take out Dimma. I'll handle these two."

"Get ready, Takashi. Here I come!" River threw his mech's arms off, going for Takashi's legs. Takashi jumped into the air, only to be pounded by a pellet barrage from Yamma above him. He landed and came at River. They started trading punches furiously. After a dodge-counter, River pulled off and Yamma charged from the side. Takashi saw it coming and ducked back. Yamma passed and Takashi charged River again.

Liz and Amy were coming in at Dimma, but he always seemed to find them. Even coming from his blind spot, the girls couldn't get a square hit. Amy called, "Liz, we need to change our strategy."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"Go for a 26 pattern."

Liz turned around Dimma and saw it. "Yeah, that'll work."

Takashi continued his attacks, but only at River. Yamma repeatedly tried to come in and get a few punches, but Takashi kept throwing him off. Yamma finally got fed up. "Get out of here, River. I want a piece of his guy."

"Right." River withdrew further down the track and Yamma landed in front of Takashi. Yamma's arm's popped up and the pellets readied. He threw one arm forward and they flew at Takashi. They were on perfect course.

In the blink of an eye, Takashi changed positions and the pellets went harmlessly by. Takashi came right up into Yamma's face and vanished. Yamma looked around, trying to find him.

"You're not worth fighting." Yamma heard it too late. Takashi grabbed both of Yamma's arms and ripped them off from behind. Unbalanced, Yamma collapsed.

Takashi dropped the pieces of metal in his hands and turned to River. His oldest rival. Anger began to swell within him. He primed his engines and began another series of attacks.

Mark checked the monitors. One in particular caught his attention. "Hey Andre. Takashi's endrophin levels haven't changed at all."

Andre made a sour face, but didn't say anything. The two leading racers, Takashi and River, were going into the spiral.

River continued to block, but anyone could see he was losing. There weren't any openings to get back at the guy: Takashi was just moving too fast. Then it happened. A single kick came from right below, up into the chest. River rose into the air. But suddenly, Takashi was there, kicking him higher. Another few meters into the air, another kick. River glanced down and wished he hadn't. They were several hundred feet over the ground, BETWEEN the rings of the spiral. He saw Takashi let off another burst of his jets, sending him higher and bringing another kick to River's back. Suddenly, Takashi was next to River's head, hand's gripping the shoulders. With a burst of jets, Takashi began to spin them around. With a howl, "PRIMARY LOTUS!", Takashi threw River down onto the track.

River tumbled for a few moments before catching himself and standing up. His entire mech was shaking. When had Takashi been able to do that? "I need a pit," he barely said through his heavy breathing. The yellow lights blared on and everything slowed. He radioed his coach while waiting for the skeleton. "What happened to Yamma?"

"Yamma's out. You're on your own against Takashi."

River suddenly became a little frightened. He couldn't fight against that!

Mark replayed the sequence again. "There is no way that the mechs can do something like that. It's not possible."

"There is one way," Andre said. Everyone turned to him. "I was afraid this would happen. I honestly thought that Takashi could handle it, but I guess it was just too much."

"What was, Andre?" Miss Satomi asked desperately.

Andre sighed heavily. "Takashi has been taken over by the Machine Spirit."

Everyone froze. Mark's face grew very cold and still. "You can't mean…"

Jessie was extremely confused. "Uh, just what is this "Machine Spirit" thing?"

"The Machine Spirit resides in all computers. It's heartless, ruthless, and is only focused on accomplishing its goal, nothing else. It's the biggest danger of Keashin. Being in it too long will let the Spirit take over the human, turning him into what you see."

Miss Satomi was shocked. "And you didn't tell us about this? How could you put Takashi into that kind of danger?"

Andre sighed again. "It's tradition. Normally, a pilot is supposed to learn of Keashin on his own. I've broken enough rules there. But even if that is done, the pilot is supposed to overcome the Machine Spirit on his own. But right now, I think we need to worry about River more.

Every stared at him. "Why is that?"

"The attack Takashi just used was the Primary Lotus, a dangerous move developed by John Therman, the first man to perfect Keashin. It can only be done in that state. But it's not the end, just a set-up." Andre sighed again. His voice began to quaver slightly. "The lotus blooms twice."

_To Be Continued…_

**A/N: If you leave now, you're an idiot! Things are just getting interesting!**


	8. Episode 7

Episode 7

**Episode 7**

"The lotus blooms twice?" Jessie asked, repeating the phrase. "What does that mean?"

"The lotus," Mark said, "is a rare flower from Africa. It has two stages of bloom. One is daily, but the other, much more beautiful one, is shown only once a month. The inner one is used to catch food using a potent poison."

"Much more dangerous than the first," Andre finished.

Satomi finally understood. "We need to get one of those two out."

Ben interrupted her. "And there goes the caution. The racers are off once again."

Takashi began to accelerate on River. Andre tried to stop him. "Takashi, calm down. You're going to hurt River."

"I'll calm down later." There was a beep and the radio fell silent.

Mark pressed the button several times, but nothing happened. "He's shut off his radio."

"Exactly how dangerous is this second attack?"

"The first person it was used on," Andre said with a grim face, "spent two years in a coma." Everyone gasped. "And I have no doubt Takashi's could do much more damage."

The mechs blasted through the stadium. The fans were completely oblivious to what was about to happen.

"COME HERE, RIVER!" Takashi screamed with an evil howl.

River immediately dropped into speed mode to get away. But Takashi was already in front of him and pulled him back up. Instinctively, River fired his arm. It caught Takashi off guard and he was thrown back. But River still couldn't get around him.

Mark suddenly gasped. "The mech's hardware is rewireing! What on earth is going on?"

"The Machine Spirit is recovering," Andre answered. "The Primary Lotus drains the mech's energy and strains the limbs. It needs more fuel for the next attack."

"But what will happen then?" Jessie asked. "If the next attack is even worse, won't it drain MORE energy?"

Andre nodded. "Takashi will be lucky to make it across the finish line."

The mechs went through the far turn. They were a third of the way through the last lap. River was calculating how long he would have to stay alive.

Liz and Amy were still pounding Dimma. He was slowly beginning to weaken. "Let's go!"

Amy nodded and both girls fell back for the "Flying Dutchess." Liz took Amy's hands and began to spin. With a twist, Amy was thrown headlong down the track, punch ready.

Dimma was prepared. His arms twisted around and the ends began to spin their drills. Amy saw it and gasped. Her momentum was too great; she couldn't stop herself. The drills dug into her chest. Sparks danced across her readings and Amy was thrown to the side of the track, smoke flowing from several large holes in the metal.

"AMY!" She turned back to Dimma with a scowl.

Dimma laughed. "One little punk down, one to go."

Liz screamed and charged in.

River made his move. He threw one of his arms low in an attempt to trip Takashi. But the projectile never reached its target. Takashi moved instantly forward twenty yards and broke the energy strand with one swing, leaving River one arm short. River, shocked, slowed his mech. If Takashi was smart, he would go for the victory.

Takashi also slowed and matched River's speed. Liz and Dimma came blazing past, locked in sumo style. Liz eyed Takashi as they went past. "Takashi! What are you doing?"

He made his move. Takashi charged the thirty meter difference in the blink of an eye and delivered a powerful spinning kick to River's head.

The mech went spinning. River spread his arms to gain balance. No sooner had he done so than Takashi was directly behind him, driving a punch into the back, throwing River back across the lane. And suddenly Takashi was there again with another punch. River screamed as he was sent spinning again.

Everyone watch aghast. "How can he move so fast?"

"THIS IS INCREDIBLE! Takashi Jin is absolutely destroying River Mark. Team Sledgemama may be in trouble!"

Takashi continued gaining speed. Metal began to fall off of River's mech and litter the track. An exhaust pipe flew a hundred feet into the city. But still Takashi went faster, only appearing as glints of light as he changed directions, until even River's spinning mech was a blur. "Takashi, please!" River screamed in fright.

"_Time for the kill."_ Takashi positioned himself in front of River, fists together. Energy danced across his arms, ready to do as much carnage as possible. The blow connected to the stomach and sent River into the air. A weakened leg flew off at the sudden change of momentum.

For a moment, River was looking into the sky. He almost mistook it for heaven. But Takashi appeared over him, bringing him back to the living hell. "HIDDEN LOTUS!" Takashi's voice seemed to come from everywhere just a moment before the attack.

The yellow mech pile drove the blue one back to the track. River's left arm hit at a strange angle and tore off. Sparks began to fly all over the cockpit.

Takashi stayed on top of River, riding his mech like a skate board. The sound of metal on metal was agonizing in River's ear. The other leg, finally worn through, fell off to bounce around the track. River opened his pained eyes once more to see Takashi still over him.

A single fist drove down and crumpled the Sledgemama mech's head unit. River's body had had enough, and he dropped out of consciousness.

Takashi finally jumped off and River's mech bounced down the track. Medical emergency teams were already on their way out.

Takashi's own mech buckled and he had to go into speed mode to stay under control. Even still, he went backwards to watch his rival finally come to a rest.

No smile came across Takashi's face. There was no joy in his heart. He said and thought nothing. He only turned and sped toward the finish line over the next hill.

An hour later, the Satomi team minus Takashi was in the council room of Satomi headquarters. Everyone's face was sullen. Jesse, glancing around at all the sad faces, tried to force a smile. "Come on, guys," she said weakly. "We did win after all. And we've got a spot in the semis."

Liz hit the wall hard. "How could Takashi do that to River? River was his team mate."

Jesse couldn't tell if Liz was angry or going to cry.

Liz looked at Andre and her face grew furious. "How could you do this?!"

Andre didn't move as all eyes turned to him. "I thought he could handle this. I never expected things to escalate to this level."

Liz got right up into the man's face. "Well because of you Takashi is a heartless zombie and River is on life support!" Andre still didn't move. Liz pulled up and walked out, the door closing silently behind her.

"Well," Miss Satomi started. "I suppose it would be best if we sat Takashi for now. Just until he's back to normal and won't harm any other pilots." Satomi watched Andre for some kind of sign of approval or disapproval, but none came. "So how do we get Takashi back?"

"We don't," he said. He said it like it was nothing, just a fact. "A pilot can only deal with the Machine Spirit on his own."

"But there must be something we can do to help?" Jesse pleaded.

Andre shook his head. The sad faces returned.

Mark stood up. "I guess I should start repairs on the mechs." He silently walked out.

"I think I'll go home and get some rest," Johnny said as he followed Mark.

Amy started to the door, but was stopped when Satomi asked where she was going. "I think I'm going to find Liz. She's going to need some comfort."

Amy walked through the building, thinking of the places where Liz might be. She decided to check in the gym first.

And strangely enough, Liz was running on the treadmill when Amy walked in. Amy could tell that Liz had been crying; wet streaks were running down her cheeks. Amy slowly walked over to stand beside the tread. "Need someone to talk to?"

"No thanks."

Amy put her hand on the side bar. "Need a shoulder?"

After a moment, Liz stopped the treadmill and stood. She softly stepped down and grabbed Amy in a hug. The moment she did, the tears started to flow freely again. Between a few wheezes, Amy could softly hear Liz say, "I'm scared."

Amy patted Liz's shoulder softly, her own tears starting to fall. "I know."

_To Be Continued…_

**A/N: Uh-oh. Things aren't looking too good for team Satomi right now.**

**Come on, people. Where are the reviews! Start hitting that blue button.**


	9. Episode 8

Episode 8

**Episode 8**

**The first italics show a flashback. Any after that are internal thoughts. **

The mech tumbled and crashed. Takashi dropped out of Keashin and the simulator shut down. No one else was in the building. No one knew he was there. He thought about his team for a moment. He should be with them, and he knew it. But the thought of them stirred the demon inside and the anger swelled. How could they drop him out of the race? He was the winning piece of the team! He punched the armrest hard and the machine purred back to life.

The mechs could be seen by the fans coming over the hill. Everyone in the Satomi control room was holding their breaths as the last moments of the race drug on.

"This race is coming down to the wire, folks!" Benjamin Bright was the only one saying anything. "Five mechs remain and they are coming in hot! Zanak Straus is leading, but Amy Stapleton is right on his tail. Can she overtake him for the win?!"

The mechs blasted through.

"NO! Zanak takes the first place and White Snow wins a victory!"

Miss Satomi let out her held breathe. "Well, I didn't expect us to win anyways. Where's Takashi?"

"He's in the simulator," Mark answered.

Satomi sighed. "He's been getting worse since the Sledgemama race. Get Johnny's mech in for immediate repairs and have him take a full physical. I want to make sure that wreck didn't do too much damage."

Johnny was fine. The team, on the other hand, went from bad to worse. Takashi's attitude toward the team had brought everyone down. But Liz was hurting the most. She wasn't one to cry, but she found herself doing it on a regular basis.

"_Please Takashi! You have to stop!"_

_Takashi pushed her aside. "I know what I'm doing!"_

_Liz watched him go as a tear fell down her cheek._

Liz looked out into space. A tear fell. She was in the lounge; not doing anything, just sitting. The setting sun sent red light into the room.

The same light filled Satomi's office. Jesse was inside cleaning up. Miss Satomi had already left. She was just getting ready to leave herself when the phone rang. She picked it up. "Hello?...No, Miss Satomi isn't here right now. Can I leave a message for you?" Jesse gasped as she listened and the clipboard in her hand fell to the floor.

Jesse burst into the room. "TAKASHI! ARE YOU HERE?"

Mark was at the desk, monitoring the simulator. He had bags under his eyes; between the mech repairs and running the simulator for Takashi, he hadn't been able to get as much sleep as usual. Hearing Jesse scream drew his attention. "He's in the simulator."

Jesse ran over to the massive orb and banged on the side. It made a hollow sound that rung in Takashi's ear. "TAKASHI! I NEED TO TALK TO YOU!"

Takashi heard her, but tried to ignore it. "I'm in the middle of something, Jesse." He ducked under a punch and countered.

"TAKASHI! YOUR SISTER'S BEEN IN A CAR ACCIDENT!"

Takashi froze. His blood chilled. His sister? How…?

A punch caught him and he tumbled. The simulator shut down. The chill was replaced with heat as his anger grew. "RUN THAT SIMULATION AGAIN, MARK!"

Mark was caught off guard. "What?"

"YOU HEARD ME!"

Now Mark was starting to get mad. "No, Takashi. I'm starting to get annoyed with your attitude. Everyone is! You need to stop thinking about yourself. From now on, if you want the simulator, you're going to have to run it yourself!"

The orb popped open and the chair slid out. Takashi, his face straight, walked over and hit a single button on the console before turning back to the simulator.

Jesse stepped in front of him. A few tears were starting to form in her eyes. "Didn't you hear me Takashi? Your sister was in an accident. She's in the hospital!"

Takashi looked straight into her eyes. "If she's strong enough, she'll survive. If not, oh well." He shouldered Jesse aside and sat back down.

Jesse was frozen. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. Mark was feeling the same thing. He stood up from the chair, half furious, half scared and shocked, and walked out. Jesse remained a few minutes before finally forcing herself to move. She looked back at the simulator for one second with a sad face. How could this have happened?

Liz stepped into the gym. Takashi was kneeling on the matted floor. She was taken back, though she didn't show it. How could he be just sitting there after what had happened. She walked up to him. "Why aren't you at the hospital with your sister?"

His eyes remained closed. "I'm sure she's fine."

She wanted to go and punch him but was able to hold herself back. What she couldn't hold back were the tears that were forming in her eyes. She dropped her voice to a whisper. "Your sister's dead, Takashi."

His eyes flashed open.

"She lost too much blood in the accident."

Takashi just kept looking straight ahead. If he was mourning, it wasn't showing at all. No grief crossed his face.

"_NOOOOOOO!!" Takashi howled up into the void. He was on his knees, tears streaming from his eyes. He looked ahead, and through his tears, he could see Yuri standing in front of him. At first, she was herself, smiling her weird smile. Then she changed. Cuts crossed her body and her clothes became torn and blood-stained. "NO!" he screamed as he reached for her. "DON'T GO!" The image of her slowly faded._

"_You don't need her," a deep voice came from everywhere. "You don't need any of them. YOU are all you need." Something shimmered into being before his eyes. It was his mech. But it was black. And it had eyes that glowed a deep red._

"_SHUT UP!" He lunged at the phantom, but it vanished._

"_You cannot destroy me. I am part of you."_

Tears started to drop from Liz's eye. "Don't you feel anything?"

Takashi stood. "I'll get over it."

Liz took a shocked step back. "You've changed, Takashi. And not for the better." That finally got him to look at her. "Ever since you started using Keashin, you've become more and more alone. Please, let it go."

Takashi smiled an evil grin. "No. I like this power. With it, I can do anything. I can win!"

"What about us? What about the team?" she screamed back in sad fury. "We could always win! As long as we worked together!"

"With this power, I don't need the team!"

Liz froze and all feeling drained from her body. In her mind, everything she had known shattered in an instant.

Everything became silent. Jesse was right. This wasn't Takashi.

Her glance dropped to the floor. "If that's the case," she said in a voice that Takashi almost couldn't hear, "then I guess you don't need me."

_Takashi burst up at hearing Liz's words. "No…"_

"_Give her up. She is holding you back." The mech appeared behind Takashi._

_He turned and glared into those evil, glowing eyes. "No!"_

Takashi's eyes grew a bit and his mouth parted a tiny bit in shock.

The tears began to stream nonstop. "Amy told me about what happened. If you're not ready for a relationship, then I don't think I am either."

"_No! Liz! Stop!"_

"_Don't! It's better this way!"_

"_NO, IT'S NO!" Takashi spun and sent a kick toward the black mech. It jumped out of the way, but Takashi charged before it could recover and sent a punch into its head unit. The machine whirled, but regained its footing. "Perhaps I should thank you," Takashi said with a saddened laugh. "You've taught me quite a bit."_

_The machine lunged, but Takashi spun out and knocked the thing over with an arm backhand. He transitioned into a sweeping kick that knocked the mech onto its back. Takashi was now standing over his oppressor. "But there's one thing I have that makes me better." He drove a fist down and through the mech's chest. It crackled and vanished. He rose slowly. "I have a heart."_

The sadness finally took over and Liz completely lost it. That was enough to break the curse. Takashi finally opened his eyes. HIS eyes. He ran over and wrapped Liz in a hug. "I'm so sorry. I don't know what came over me."

Liz returned his hug, and for a moment, everything was alright. But Liz eventually pushed herself away. "I'm sorry, but I can't do this."

Takashi looked at her longingly. That caught her eye. Only moments ago he was completely emotionless. Now he seemed sad. His eyes were soft, gentle. More like his old self.

He reached forward and took her hand lightly. "Perhaps you can't, but I think I finally can." He got down onto one knee. Liz was stuck between shock and joy. He locked his brown eyes with her blue as he reached into his pocket. "Liz Ricarro, will you marry me?"

She put a hand to her mouth in shock. He had done it! He had popped the question. Her mind raced. Most of her was overjoyed, but there was this nagging part in the back of her mind telling her no. Her thoughts tumbled. She looked into his eyes once more, to see if it was really him. That simple look seemed to melt Liz from the inside out. There was so much love in that glance that it could only be him.

Takashi pulled a tiny red box out and opened the top. Inside shown a brilliant diamond ring.

Liz gasped. The jewelry was beautiful. She couldn't believe it. With a smile, she forced the nagging doubts down. "Yes."

Takashi jumped up and grabbed her in another tight hug while pushing his lips lightly against her cheek. She was blushing when he pulled away. He took the ring out of its box and slid it onto Liz's finger. It was a perfect fit. He looked back into her eyes that were starting to tear again. "I love you."

Liz was overflowing with happiness by this point and she couldn't help but give out a soft laugh. "I love you too."

The two came together and kissed in one of the happiest moments they could remember.

The next morning, the door opened into the conference room. Andre and Amy were already inside. In the doorway, Takashi was standing with a huge smile. Next to him stood Liz. The two were hand-in-hand as they walked in.

Amy's eye immediately caught a flicker of light. She looked down and saw the ring on Liz's finger. She was instantly taken over by joy. "HE FINALLY ASKED?!"

Liz was a bit surprised by Amy's sudden burst, but smiled. "Yeah!"

Amy ran up and grabbed the bride-to-be. They instantly went into their wedding plans. Takashi let go of Liz's hand and walked halfway across the room. Andre walked the other half to meet him in the middle. Andre's face was set in a glare.

Takashi rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Look, I'm sorry about the way I've been acting. I wasn't quite myself. Can you forgive me?"

Andre continued to glare at Takashi and it started to make him feel uncomfortable. Until the frown turned into a smile. Andre laughed and swung a massive arm around Takashi's shoulder, almost causing him to collapse under the extra weight. Andre brought his face close to Takashi's. "You know, kid? Almost no one has been able to do what you pulled off. I'm proud of you."

Takashi blushed. "Ah, come on, coach. It wasn't that big."

"ARE YOU KIDDING?!" Amy screamed, still very joyously, from behind him. She ran up to Takashi and grabbed his arm. "We have to start planning." Amy literally pulled Takashi out of the room to leave Andre and Liz laughing.

_To Be Continued…_

**A/N: Yes, I did it. I KILLED OFF YURI! No, I'm not proud of it, but I needed some kind of emotional shock. And yes, it may seem crazy that Liz would swing around so quickly, but hey, love is weird.**

**Send that review! And for those of you who like the quick review asking for another post, it won't change my schedule; I'm still going to post the next chapter every Wednesday and weekend. So elaborate a bit more. What did you like? What didn't you like? What needs improvement? I need more in a review than just "Update Quick!"**


	10. Episode 9

Episode 9

**Episode 9**

The wind blew. The field was silent except for the breeze and the words of one man. One man who should never have to be called.

The flowers spread everywhere flowed like wheat from the brush of the wind. Takashi thought of his sister. When she was young, she would love to pick flowers in their grandmother's garden. He returned his eyes forward to the box held over a wide hole. In his mind, she was somewhere right now doing just that. He couldn't help but let a tear fall.

Liz saw it. She was standing next to him. She took one of her tissues and offered it to him. He took it in silent thanks and dabbed both cheeks. The ceremony continued.

Everyone had gone. The only ones left were Takashi and Liz, and for several minutes, nothing stirred but the flowers. "I should have been there," Takashi said, his gaze still on the closed casket.

"It's not your fault," Liz said softly as she put a gentle hand on his back. "You know you couldn't control yourself."

"Yeah, but I still feel guilty. You know, that spirit right now would probably be telling me to just leave."

Liz turned her head. "And what do you want to do?"

Takashi turned his head. His eyes were misty. He softly put his arms around her, nestled his head against her shoulder, and cried. It had been so long since he had. He wanted to feel the anguish, the torment of sorrow. He didn't stop for several minutes. When he did, he felt like a burden had been lifted. He felt human again.

Liz jerked her head. "We should go."

Takashi nodded and turned back. He placed his hand on the casket: his last goodbye. With that, the couple left and the diggers began their work.

About half an hour later, Takashi and Liz stood inside a small hospital room. A man with a neck brace lay on the bed. Several monitors let out beeps every few seconds.

The sight made Takashi a little sick. He had done this to him. His teammate.

Liz put her hand on Takashi's arm. "We need to get going," she whispered softly.

Takashi nodded, never taking his eyes off the bed. Liz stepped out of the room, leaving the two men alone.

Takashi walked over and put his hand on River's. "I'm sorry, bro," Takashi whispered, even though the other couldn't hear. He needed to get the words out, regardless if they were to deaf ears. "I'm sorry I did this to you." A tear rolled down his cheek and he brushed it away. With one last pat, he turned away.

Takashi went to the locker room as soon as he got back to the track. He could faintly hear the rumble of the crowds high above. The year's All-Star Festival was on the same day as his sister's funeral. How ironic.

Ben looked over the packed stands. "Welcome, race fans, to this year's All-Star Festival. Today, we'll see every pilot in the league show off their best moves. The normal festival events have been put off this year for something totally new! This year holds the introduction of the Cross Races! Pilots will be split up by position, and then put into mock teams and race using a different mech. Forwards will use Defender mechs, Midfielders will use Forwards, and Defenders will use Midfielders. This should make for some very interesting combat.

"To make things a bit more interesting, the first race, the Forwards, will put rivals Takashi Jin, Cunningham Hume, and Yamma on the same team! Can the once mortal enemies come together as a group? I can't wait to find out! And, for some unknown reason, Vince Hugo will not be racing today. Instead, Shingo Magoto, their Defender, will race twice today."

Liz was waiting as Takashi approached her mech. "You better not mess up my mech, Takashi."

"I won't, honey," he replied. A few mechanics laughed. No one had ever seen anyone call Liz "honey" and get away.

Takashi fired up the mech and began to walk out. It felt sluggish and stiff. It would be hard using this thing in battle. But if nothing else, he could use his weight to cause more damage.

Yamma and Cunningham joined him outside the hangar. Their opponents entered the track from the opposite side. Takashi took point, Cunningham at mid, and Yamma the tail end.

"This is only a one lap race, so anything goes as soon as the mechs hit the gas!"

"What's the plan, guys?" Takashi asked his "teammates."

Cunningham adjusted his mech's arm pressure a bit. "Just take a target and go one-on-one."

"That good with you, Yamma?"

Yamma scowled. "I don't care. Do what you want."

"Humph. Fine." Takashi wondered if Yamma was going to turn on him. He probably was, but not until later. He'd just have to keep an eye out for it.

The countdown started.

3

2

1

GO!

The mechs pushed off. Straight out of the gate, Yamma turned on Johannsen and the two started trading punches. Takashi took his lead and came into attack range of Zanak. "We didn't get to fight in our race," Takashi said to his opponent. "This should be fun."

"Indeed," Zanak replied. He made the first move, a straight punch.

Takashi spun out of the way, but the mech was slower, making it a close miss. He carried the momentum into a backhand that only hit air. Zanak pulled back for another attack.

Takashi may have been taken over, but he could vividly remember most of the time he had been out. Mainly, the spirit's battle tactics. When faced by a foe, take a moment to observe their movements. And that is just what Takashi did.

Zanak came in for a furry of punches. Takashi merely dodged them all and watched the mech closely. One punch nicked off Takashi's chest and Zanak leaned slightly. Takashi caught it in that one instant. Zanak wasn't used to the weight, and it was throwing him off. A plan instantly formed in his mind to use that momentum to his advantage.

Zanak charged in with a single punch. As the punch approached, Takashi leaned back and grabbed Zanak's arm. At the same time, he pushed off the ground, using Zanak's momentum to send them into a spin. Takashi landed on top, pinning Zanak to the track in a screech of steel. With a twist, Takashi jumped off, taking half of Zanak's arm with him.

He smiled to himself. That should take Zanak out.

The crowds cheered. "What a move by Takashi Jin! That's one mech down. Wait! Cunningham has just taken out Shingo Magoto! This race is starting to look a little one-sided."

Takashi and Cunningham pulled ahead as Yamma continued duking it out with Bjorn from Edgeraid. Bjorn made a dangerous pounce move which Yamma pushed aside with one fist. He took that moment to swing his arms around and activate the drills. The spinning blades dug into Bjorn's mech, snapping wires and sending sparks everywhere. Bjorn crumpled, his mech powerless.

Yamma turned slowly. "Come on, let's go." The trio dropped into speed mode and got into drafting formation: Cunningham in front, Takashi in the middle, and Yamma behind. They went through the last quarter of the track and finished in that order.

"Wow," Ben said. "That was anticlimactic. I was expecting one person to turn on the others, but the three pass in near perfect formation. Great teamwork. Next up is the Midfielder's race."

Takashi docked and powered down as Amy started up his mech. He sat and watched as it lumbered out. Shana of Fire Fox and Max from White Snow joined her.

Amy ducked nimbly under the fast Velshtein punch and spun around to deliver an uppercut. The mech flipped forward and tumbled head-over-heals but got up. It dropped into speed mode for the last stretch. Amy gave chase, but couldn't catch up in time. She placed second.

Liz didn't fair so well. She wasn't used to the extreme agility of the Midfielder mech and couldn't keep herself under control. Luckily, neither could most of the other Defenders. She placed 5th.

Liz stepped out of the changing room along with Amy and Jesse. She sported a long, black evening gown. It went high on the left shoulder and low to her other underarm. The lower half was similar, starting below the left hip and dipping low to the right ankle. White specks made it sparkle brilliantly. They were all hoping for another win at the Fashion Show.

Takashi was waiting outside.

The girls stopped in front of him.

He gave Amy and Jesse weird looks.

Amy got the hint first. "Oh, sorry." She grabbed Jesse's arm. "We'll leave you two alone." The quickly turned the corner at the end of the hall.

Takashi couldn't help but gaze up and down her figure. "You look absolutely beautiful."

Liz laughed nervously. "Thanks." She flipped the skirt a bit. The sparkles sent a few beams of light across the dimly-lit walls. "I'm planning on wearing this for the ball tonight."

"That's what I wanted to talk about. I don't think you should wear the engagement ring tonight."

This surprised Liz. That was a strange request. "Why? Aren't you proud that we're going to get married?"

Takashi rubbed the back of his neck. "Of course I am!" he said with a smile. "It's just that I don't think we need all the paparazzi. Just not yet."

Liz got a half-angry, half-sad look. "You can't be serious? This is a commitment, Takashi. Don't tell me you're backing out already?"

Takashi suddenly felt ashamed. After all he had put her through, this was a stupid request. "You're right. I'm sorry. In fact, show it off. Who cares about the stupid cameras? Let the whole world know that Liz and Takashi are in love!" Takashi grabbed Liz and pulled her in for a deep kiss. She was startled, but gave in.

Amy and Jesse watched from around the corner, each with a grin. "Ah, how romantic," they said in unison.

The main hall was packed. Every team member and city politician was there. It was just like the Opening Ceremonies Dance. As soon as Takashi and Liz entered, they were stopped by a reporter. There weren't many: only about 15 were ever let into these big IGPX occasions. The man asked about the team and their plans for the finals. Takashi answered like any other time and he left, without noticing the ring. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Liz pocked his side. "Don't be so nervous. Like you said, 'Who cares?' Come on. Let's dance."

A fast dance beat started up and the two wondered out. A few other pilots said hello during the dance, but for the most part the two just enjoyed each other's company. Especially when the slow song came. Liz was reluctant at first, saying that she didn't do slow dances, but Takashi pulled her in and started, forcing her to take step. After a few seconds, she relaxed and laid her head on Takashi's shoulder. He leaned over and gave her a light kiss on her head. It was absolutely perfect.

Three songs later, Takashi excused himself for the bathroom. He weaved through the crowd, saying hello to a few people, and entered the room. There was only one other person inside: Vince. He was standing straight up with one hand on his hip. He seemed to have been expecting Takashi to come. His eyes were piercing and harsh. "You got lucky in our last race. Don't expect me to go down so easily again."

Takashi looked back and smiled. "You're right. It was luck last time. But it won't be this time."

Vince got mad. "I will take you down this time, Takashi Jin! You can bet your blood on that!" He recomposed himself and walked out, knocking Takashi off-balance in the process.

"We'll just see about that."

Takashi did his business and went back to the dance. Right outside the door, Liz was surrounded by several women. All of them were ogling over something, and Takashi could probably guess what it was. Ten reporters appeared out of nowhere, and all of them were asking one question. "Would you care to comment on your engagement?"

Takashi let out a sigh. "Oh, man."

_To Be Continued…_


	11. Episode 10

Episode 10

**Episode 10**

Takashi relaxed on the park bench. A squirrel sat perched on his head. Everything was silent.

"_Tomorrow's the semi-finals, everyone. I know we can do it."_

"_Hugo isn't going to be easy, but if you give it everything, you can beat him."_

"_Nothing's going to stop us from going all the way!"_

Takashi opened his eyes and the squirrel bounded off.

"_I will take you down this time, Takashi Jin! You can bet your blood on that!"_

He smiled. This was going to be fun.

"The mechs are good to go," Mark called. Each one started up.

Takashi watched as the sensors came to life. Everything was running perfectly.

Mark ran up to the control center in time to watch the teams take their starting positions. Team Fire Fox looked as menacing as the last race. "Let's hope the adjustments work out."

"Well, even if they don't, Takashi should still be able to go toe-to-toe with Hugo," Andre put back. He was reclining in his chair with his eyes closed.

Mark nodded before turning back to the monitors.

Vince Hugo watched his sensors. The Spirit was starting to get aroused. He pushed it back. It wouldn't do any good to go crazy before the race even started.

Liz took a deep breathe. "So, should we try our last plan against these guys?"

"No. That didn't quite work. I've got a better one." Takashi went on to explain it.

Amy listened intently. "That's risky, but it should work. It would give us an advantage early on."

Liz nodded. "I like it."

"Right." Takashi closed his eyes. When they re-opened, they were concentrated and full of energy. "Let's blow these guys out of the water."

"Hold onto your hats, race fans! The race is about to begin!"

3

2

1

GO!

Sparks flew and the mechs blasted out of the arena. The pack swirled together before Satomi dropped back. Then it slowed for the first lap.

"Today promises to be truly exciting, even for IGPX usuals. Vince Hugo, the youngest person to ever master Keashin, will be going against Takashi Jin, who just this year learned how to perform the technique. But Takashi's skills with it have grown dramatically so far. He used it on former teammate River Mark several weeks ago, who has yet to come out of his coma. This Keashin smack-down promises to be furious, so stay tuned.

The usual in-race tension began to seep into Takashi's head. "You know guys. I just wanted to say how sorry I am for what's happened this year."

Liz sighed. "Not this again. You've apologized twenty times already."

"Well it's worth saying again. I completely forgot about the team. But I learned something at the same time. No matter how strong we each get, we're strongest when we're together."

"You're just now figuring this out?" Amy asked sarcastically.

"Of course not! I just want to thank you two for being my teammates and sticking with me." Takashi's face turned a bit red.

Liz smiled. "You don't have to thank us, Takashi. We're glad to be on your team."

"You said it, Liz" Luca called out.

Takashi smiled. "Thanks guys."

"So what's the plan, Vince?" Shana asked.

"I don't care what you do. Just stay out of my way and leave Takashi to me."

She sighed. He was always this way. Ever since he started using that cursed Keashin.

_Vince walked in on the first day. A huge smile was across his face. "Hey, teammates."_

_Shana looked up from her IGPX magazine. She couldn't help but think of how dorky he looked with that goofy grin._

_Another guy, this one Japanese with red hair, jumped out of his seat across from Shana. "Hey." The two men high-fived and instantly got to talking like they were old friends. After several months, they basically were. The two did tons of stuff together: going out for lunch, seeing movies, playing mini-golf._

_That all changed shortly after the team entered the IG-2. Vince started to become more reserved. He wouldn't do as much with Shingo as he used to. Eventually, they stopped hanging out all together._

"_I hope team Satomi isn't going through this same thing,"_ she thought to herself. No one should have to go through what Shingo had.

"Alright, folks. The teams are coming over the final hill. We're about to start the Battle Round!"

"Move in," Takashi called as he tapped his accelerator. The team stayed in perfect formation, but moved forward as they swirled until the two teams moved as one unit. The teams crossed the starting line together. But neither team moved to attack.

Takashi eyed the other mech closely. "What are they up to? Why aren't they attacking?" The mechs kept spinning.

"What is this? Neither team is making a move!"

"GO NOW!"

Liz spun into a sweeping kick that tripped Shingo. In an instant, she was next to Shana with Amy on the far side. The teammates came in together in a pincer movement. Shana saw it and hit the break, moving her back out of range.

Liz and Amy caught each other's hands. Liz spun back around, pulling Amy into the air. Amy flew around into a hurricane spin, smacking Shana in the face and sending her into the wall. Liz kept up the spin and moved into Shingo, who had recovered only moments ago.

Takashi sent a lazy punch towards Vince. The red mech vanished and reappeared several meters farther ahead. Vince smiled. "Is that all you can do?"

"I just wanted to get your attention," Takashi replied, smiling himself.

Vince charged in, his arms moving into a blur of motion. Takashi dipped into Keashin and threw up a defense. The two began smashing together in showers of sparks. A left hook. A block/parry. A duck and back hand. Neither one could find a hole to connect through.

Several seconds later, the two split apart. Takashi was panting lightly. This was harder without the spirit.

Vince wasn't even fazed. "You're pathetic, Takashi. This fight hasn't even started and you're already sweating. Compared to me, you have no chance."

"Perhaps I'm not, but you've forgotten one little detail." Takashi suddenly dropped and leapt into the air. From behind him, Liz and Amy came flying in, still spinning in a deadly hurricane.

Vince's eyes bulged in shock. He had no time to react. Amy's spinning legs hit his mech's chest hard and he went spinning.

Takashi landed and Amy and Liz finally stopped their spin. "When you pick a fight with Takashi Jin, you pick a fight with team Satomi."

A yellow band appeared across the track. "Wow. That was quite a show of teamwork and treachery. The caution is out with only half of the second lap gone. Using it so early may cost Fire Fox later."

"I don't need a pit!" Vince screamed into his mic.

"Yes, you do," the mechanic howled back. "That hit damaged the circuitry in your torso. You won't be able to use Keashin properly without it."

That caused Vince to settle down. He would need Keashin. "Fine."

The black and red running skeleton moved around the mechs and collected Vince's mech. Takashi ran a few checks while he waited.

"That's probably not going to work again," Andre said over the mic. "Do you have another plan?"

"If we gang on him we'll get pounded by Shana and Shingo," Liz pointed out.

"Don't focus on Shingo. He's too resilient. Take out Shana, then Amy can help Takashi with Vince."

"Got it."

The timer ran down with the 3/4 mark coming up fast.

Vince could feel the spirit trying to break free. _ "Do it!"_

"No. It's not time_."_

"_DO IT NOW!"_

The mech dropped out of the skeleton. The repair machine drove off and the mechs blasted down the track. Vince tried to suppress the rage, the hatred flowing from the spirit, but it was too much.

"_**NOW!"**_

He broke. The spirit erupted out and Vince gave a feral howl. The mech became fully erect. The shoulders popped and gas started to leak out. The hips did the same. The body of the mech bent forward until it was almost parallel with the track. The arms hung down to the track, becoming a new set of legs. It was over in a matter of seconds. The new machine now resembled an actual fox, complete with claws and tail.

Shana gasped in horror. This wasn't good. It had happened once before, but only in the simulator. The records had been wiped to protect the team, but Shana could remember it vividly.

Had the event been real, the sport would no longer be called "immortal."

_To Be Continued…_


	12. Episode 11

Episode 11

**Episode 11**

Takashi looked at the machine that crouched before him. Only moments ago it had been a normal upright mech. But now it was more like an animal. It reminded him of team White Snow's Snow Man, but only in the fact that it had transformed.

Vince eyed his opponent. Except that it wasn't Vince. It was his inner demon. His eyes had turned a blood red and his teeth had grown a small amount to form fangs. His appearance could almost match his mech's new form.

Shana was calling to her teammate, trying to stop what she knew was going to happen. "Vince, stop! You've got to snap out of it!"

The man turned off the radio, blocking her out. Shana cursed. She couldn't attack her teammate, but she didn't want team Satomi to get hurt. She shook her head. She would just have to play it out and hope for the best.

Amy made the first move of the restart. She came up behind Shana and gave her a backhand. Shana was still in thought and didn't see the attack coming. The two quickly went into a bout.

Liz came at Shingo slowly. They grabbed hands and went into a sumo-struggle. Shingo tried to move down, but Liz pulled the hands back up. Thinking quickly, Liz dislocated her shoulders for a moment. With a burst of energy, she spun in a backflip. Her rising leg caught Shingo between the legs and he went tumbling. Liz watched him for a moment before turning. "I'm surprised that worked twice."

Liz quickly came up behind Shana. For a moment, Shana panicked and dropped her guard. The girls took advantage and began a team barrage.

Neither of the two men moved. They stood in their stare down. Takashi didn't want to provoke Vince into an attack he couldn't block, but at the same time wanted to attack him. He would have to be fast. He entered Keashin and came up next to Vince in an instant.

He wasn't fast enough. Vince pushed off with his legs and dove out from under the attack. With a quick turn, Vince pushed himself at Takashi, claws held forward. Takashi caught Vince with his forearm and carried him over in an attempt to throw him into the track. Vince twisted and instead landed on his feat. He pushed off again. This time Takashi ducked under it and swiveled out to the other side of the track.

This wasn't good. Vince was moving too fast and he wasn't even using Keashin yet. Takashi ducked under another dive.

Liz broke off to take on Shingo again. They got back into their sumo stances. Liz caused her shoulders to pop again and Shingo quickly broke off, not wanting to get struck in the groin again. But instead of backflipping, Liz came forward and connected a punch to Shingo's chest. The force was too much and he went tumbling again. "These guys aren't so tough." She returned to help Amy with Shana. After only a few more punches, Shana's arm was ripped off, followed quickly by the other arm. With no other options, she drew back out of attack range.

Amy looked at Liz. "You go help Takashi. I'll take care of Shingo."

Liz nodded and accelerated after her fiancé.

Takashi did a flash jump above Vince's mech and sent a punch from behind. Vince hit the track and tumbled once before finding his footing. Takashi blinked back out and came up behind Vince with an uppercut. He flashed back out and in of visibility, pounding Vince from every angel. The machine lurched back and forth, throwing Vince's head like a rag doll.

Vince finally found a break and jumped away. The mech was wobbling. The spirit grew furious. How could such a worm be beating him?! The spirit forced out energy from the machine's core. Parts all over began to fix themselves until the mech was back in working order.

Takashi watched in amazement. The machine was actually fixing itself! "No way."

Mark watched the readings. "Incredible! The machine's energy output has tripled! This type of thing shouldn't even be possible."

After only a moment, it was done. The mech was completely fixed, except this time it hung in mid-air slightly, like a werewolf would during its "wolf" stage. The head threw back and Vince let out another howl.

"Holy Cow! I thought I had seen everything in this sport, but never had I thought I'd see this! With just over half of the final lap left, Vince Hugo is primed to go. Can Takashi Jin take him?"

"This can't be good," Takashi whispered to himself as he went into a defensive stance.

Vince's feral mech crouched. The head glared menacingly before he vanished. Takashi quickly entered Keashin, but even with the advanced eyesight he couldn't follow the motion. There was a _whir_ of motion and a hose in the mech's hip erupted. Gas started to billow out. The mech nearly buckled, but Takashi transferred the weight to another area and caught himself. Then another blow came at the other side. Another hose ripped open and spilled its contents onto the track. He almost buckled again, but Takashi was somehow able to remain standing.

Takashi saw a slight flash of light. He was coming again! Takashi threw the mech back, but the attack was too fast. The claws tore into the chest armor and sent Takashi sprawling backwards. Sparks flew across Takashi's panel as the world spun. Without realizing it, Takashi threw out an arm, caught the track, and pulled his legs under him.

Without looking, Takashi could tell his mech was finished. There was almost zero pressure in the legs and he would be lucky to have enough energy left to crawl across the finish line.

He looked up and Vince was there. The man laughed evilly. "Face it, Takashi! As long as you face me, I'll always win." Vince hit the accelerator to go for the killing blow. But instead of moving, the mech just shuddered.

Vince spun his head with a ferocious growl. Liz was standing over him, her arms wrapped around the mech's torso and shoulder, effectively immobilizing him. "I got you now, bastard."

Vince gasped in shock. How had she gotten behind him? He tried jumping into Keashin but she somehow held him tight. He was completely trapped.

There was a creaking from ahead. Vince turned his eyes to another shock. Takashi was standing! The legs were wobbling visibly and it took all Takashi had to stay upright. Takashi stared into Vince's face with a scowl and grin at the same time. "Then thank God that I don't have to do it alone."

Takashi brought one fist over his head. Green energy laced across it, building for a quick blow.

Vince tried to shake once more, but only managed to squirm. Liz tightened her grip. Vince looked up again and wished he hadn't. To him, it looked like a demon from hell. For a moment, Takashi thought he saw the mech's head turn into a horrified mask.

"Until you learn to work with your team, you'll never win the IG-1." Takashi brought his energized fist down. It dropped on Vince's mech's head and the unit crumpled. Energy coursed through the now open circuits, frying everything inside.

Suddenly everything in the cockpit went black. Vince froze for a moment, his eyes still wide.

Liz dropped the mech and it tumbled down the course. Takashi, still trying to stand, buckled as the remaining pressure vanished. Liz whipped in underneath and caught his arm over her shoulder. Takashi looked over at her. "Go ahead. Win us the race."

Liz shook her head. "No way, man. We're a team."

Takashi smiled and nodded his head. The two pressed on the last leg of the race while Amy came up behind them, a partially crippled Shingo behind her, and Shana way behind.

As she crossed, Shana kept playing that battle in her head. She had seen someone do the impossible.

Vince sat on the track. When he finally came to, he realized that something was strange. Not bad, just strange. His mech was dark and lifeless. Everything around him was dead.

_Wait!"_

He searched around with his mind. Nothing. The machine was dead!

Vince quickly threw opened the panel and jumped out onto the track. He quickly ripped his helmet off. Everything looked so much brighter. The wind rustled his hair, sending a slight cold shiver down his spine. But he welcomed it. The demon was gone. Vince was back.

Takashi and the group jumped up onto the stage. Lights flashed and reporters shouted out their questions. Ben quickly stepped in with his mic. "That was quite a race, Satomi. You gave a nice show, even for this veteran star. What was the secret to your success?" he asked throwing the mic into Takashi's face.

"Teamwork." The one word said it all.

"Thanks a lot. You'll be going up against Sledgemama in the finals. As you may know, River Mark has yet to recover from his coma. Are you hoping for a victory?" The question went to Liz.

"You know it. Though we do hope River can get better as soon as possible."

Ben turned back to Takashi. "You know, several fans sites are starting to call you by the name Rocket T. Would you care to comment?"

Takashi hadn't heard of this and it shocked him for a moment. "Wow. It's really awesome to be compared to someone I consider sort of an idol. I'll try to wear the title well."

"Thanks for the interview, team Satomi!" The crowd cheered as the team slowly made their way off.

Walking towards the hanger, Takashi saw something in their way. He instantly recognized team Fire Fox. The team came to a halt a few paces away and went into a small stare down. No words were spoken. The silence was ominous and heavy, waiting for something or someone to break it.

It was broken when Vince slowly lifted his hand. Takashi looked at it suspicious, but then saw Vince's face. He was…smiling? "I want to thank you," Vince said. "I've been so caught up in winning, that I forgot what being on a team was about. Thank you for beating my back to my senses."

Takashi smiled and took Vince's hand in a firm shake. "Don't worry. The same thing happened to me a few weeks ago. Just trust you friends. They'll pull you through."

"Don't expect us to lose next time, though. I'll be watching you, Takashi Jin." Vince made a gun out of his hand and pretended to fire it at Takashi.

"Same back at you."

Vince nodded and walked off, Shingo close on his heels. Shana stayed behind. She came over to Takashi and took his hand. "I can't thank you enough. You've brought Vince back to us. We owe you everything." Shana then bent over and kissed Takashi's knuckles. Takashi blushed deeply. Shana dropped the hand and ran after her friends.

As they walked off, Vince put his arms over the other two's shoulders. "How about we go out for some Chinese? My treat."

Takashi stood for a moment, his face still red. Liz saw his cheeks. "Don't get any ideas, Takashi."

Takashi turned back at her. "What does that mean?"

"I'm your fiancée, not her."

Takashi smiled big. "Of course you are. And to celebrate, I'm taking you girls out."

Luca gave a loud "Meow."

"And you too, Luca."

The three turned to the hangar and went inside, all of them thinking about the race they had just survived and looking on to the finals against Sledgemama.

_To Be Continued…_


	13. Episode 12

A/N: Sorry, but this is only a resolution chapter, so don't expect much action

**A/N: **Sorry, but this is only a resolution chapter, so don't expect much action. I don't think I could top the climax of the last race.

**Episode 12**

Team Fire Fox reclined back in their seats to wait for the upcoming race. Vince and Shingo each popped a soda and gave a toast, smiling like old friends. And they were once again. Shana smiled. Everything was back to the way it should.

Team Velshtein also watched the track. They were beaten by team Sledgemama during the semis. The race against Satomi had taken a toll on them, but it wouldn't happen the same way next year. Cunningham was sure of it. But that was a long ways off. For now, there was a great race about to start.

"Today we have the 2051 IGPX Finals! The dark skies are clear of clouds, making for perfect race conditions. Team Sledgemama, still short of one pilot, is itching to go up against team Satomi once again. This promises to be a heated race, so stay tuned."

Takashi looked up at his mech. It shone under the lights like a bright gem. And for such a big event, it should. It was finally time for the finals. Hopefully, another championship would be on Satomi's mantel.

Liz came passing by. Takashi gave her a high five and a kiss before she continued on and he climbed up into the cockpit.

The mechs slowly lumbered out onto the track and took their positions.

3

2

1

GO!

All six machines blasted off into the night.

Several minutes later, the six machines could be seen over the final hill. Takashi and Yamma were out in front, neck-n-neck. Both were incredibly scarred, Takashi's didn't even look like the bright figure it had earlier.

"They're coming down to the wire! Who will take the win? Team Sledgemama's Yamma or team Satomi's Takashi Jin?"

Both pilots pushed as hard as they could, trying to get as many inches ahead as possible. They flew through the stadium with a roar of applause.

"Too close to call. We're going to have to go to the computers."………"I don't believe it! The winner is…"

Takashi stood watching. It had been a long time since he had been at this end.

"So, team Sledgemama," Ben asked. "How does it feel to win the championship once again?"

"It feels great!" Yamma screamed. "Team Sledgemama is back! And don't expect us to go anywhere soon!"

Takashi smiled and walked through the crowd back toward the hanger.

Liz was waiting for him at the door, sitting against the side, deep in thought. When she spotted him, she stood up and brushed herself off. "What happened out there, man?"

"I'm not sure," he answered with a shrug. For some reason, he was smiling.

"You didn't use the Keashin at all tonight. Why?"

Takashi shrugged again. "I guess it didn't feel…humane using it against someone who couldn't defend himself."

"But we lost the championship because of it."

"Oh, well." That surprised Liz. Almost everything Takashi cared about was winning the championship. What surprised her more was when he whipped forward and pulled her into his arms and bent his head close to her's. "I think we've each won enough."

Liz realized the slight irony and kissed him back with a smile.

Three months later, same loving embrace, same passionate kiss. The two stood in front of a podium right on the starting line, a reverend standing with them.

As soon as the two kissed, the crowd behind them rose to their feet and began a joyous clapping. Several hundred uninvited fans from the stands also rose in thunderous applause.

The two separated with a slight laugh. So much for a small wedding. They turned hand-in-hand as the reverend called out, "May I present Mr. and Mrs. Takashi Jin."

They walked down the aisle as the clapping continued. Takashi spotted an empty chair in the second row. His sister's seat. He smiled, knowing that she would have been happy. The entire Satomi team was behind there. Amy seemed to be cheering louder than anyone, and Liz laughed at that.

Takashi looked to the other side and caught the eye of one particular man. He was wearing a neck brace, but still managed to nod his head a bit. Takashi nodded back. After everything that had happened, the old teammates still had an understanding.

The two continued down to the limo waiting for them. The driver closed the door behind them and drove off. The massive "Just Married" sign was plastered across the back window.

The two kissed once more as they rode off to their waiting flight.

**Nine Months Later**

"Welcome, race fans, to the 2052 IGPX season. A lot has happened since team Sledgemama won last year's championship, but I, Benjamin Bright, and here to bring you up to speed. Sledgemama's River Mark, who was injured last year, is back and ready to give the other teams some hurt. Team Black Egg, the team eliminated during the 2049 season, has returned to take the place of team Edgeraid, eager to get their revenge. Apparently team White Snow has upgraded their mechs, though policies forbid us from going into any detail. Just expect them to be ready for just about anything.

"And here's the biggest piece of news that you all have been waiting for. Team Satomi's lead pilot Takashi Jin, a.k.a Rocket T, is back this year. The former Liz Ricarro, now Liz Jin, is taking a maternity leave for this year. She will be replaced by the youngest pilot this year, Johnny Limpkin. Amy Stapleton is also returning to fill out the roster. Despite losing last year's final, this team has been called by many experts the most talented team in years. Once again, it seems that this team is still the one to beat.

"That's all from me. Thanks for watching, and keep on racing."

**A/N:** And thank you for reading. Sorry if you wanted a better finals race, but I wanted the semis to be the climax. And no, Sledgemama winning is not a typo. Flame me if you wish, but I like it. And could this last piece be a set-up for a sequel? I don't know. Tell me what you think in the review.

Special thanks go to everyone in a particular forum that I cannot remember the name of for giving my ideas for the romance. Also, thanks to Shaden who was my beta reader.

And of course, thanks so much to you faithful readers. This wouldn't have come about if it were not for you.


End file.
